Lane Kiffin admits recruiting in new landscape is 'abnormal'

There have been a lot of recent changes in the recruiting landscape. Things like the transfer portal and NIL happening in rapid succession have changed how business is done. These changes, according to Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, have made recruiting abnormal.

The question came up during his National Signing Day press conference when Kiffin was asked about navigating this new landscape.

“It’s very abnormal,” Lane Kiffin said. “I mean, this could have happened anyway once the signing period got moved up, but you’re going to–our players are already warming up for a scrimmage. You know, are mock game a week from the bowl game as we’re doing this on the phone with recruits, but then we also have had players that are going to play in this game missing practice because they’re on official visits to other places because they’re in the portal.”

Kiffin then emphasized how strange things are now in recruiting. He also says that this is a very friendly system for the players right now.

“I mean, so it is a very strange time and you’re going to see more kids go into the portal around the country after their games, which is kind of what it used to be more of. So, yeah, it’s gonna continue to move all over the place until they figure out a better way to do this. You’ve just got way too big of free agency windows open, and really which is good for them. You basically have a really good system, a very player-friendly system in all areas, whether it’s NIL and not real contracts that lock players in or the portal that can just go in and come back and go to visits and see what your market value is.”

To this point in the 2023 cycle, Ole Miss has the 27th-ranked class in the On3 Consensus Football Team Recruiting Rankings. That’s 11th in the SEC. In that class, 25% of it is from in-state recruits.

“So, there’s nothing like this in any professional sports. Usually professional sports, they’re always arguing are not player friendly and the players’ associations are always working for them. This is a super friendly player system now.”

Lane Kiffin on winning in-state recruits

One of the most important things for Lane Kiffin to handle is winning recruiting battles within the state of Mississippi.

“I think really big, which is obvious. Something that didn’t necessarily happen when we first got here. They were going away to play. I think we did a better job of that. Hope we continue to do that,” Kiffin said.

“As guys come in and have success here, that will help that. I’m not going to get into NIL a whole lot and stuff but that had some effect before where I think it’s public knowledge that we’re in a little better position—we’re definitely in a better position than we were sitting up here a year ago.”