Lane Kiffin discusses transfer portal, impact NIL has made

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss have been using the transfer portal to their advantage throughout the offseason. While other programs are still adjusting to the portal and how NIL has changed things, Kiffin and the Rebels have landed stars like quarterback Jaxson Dart, tight end Michael Trigg and running back Zach Evans.

Ole Miss has adapted well to the huge changes, but Kiffin sees how NIL has turned the transfer portal into a version of NFL free agency. In an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, the Rebels coach discussed the overall impact NIL has made on the transfer portal.

“A lot of them have figured it out,” Kiffin responded, comparing player’s views on the transfer portal and NIL to NFL free agency. “I think you’ve seen a few of them, most of the time people are going in because they’re not happy where they’re at, or they want to play at a bigger level. We have started to see a few at places, it’s not they weren’t unhappy, they just figured this out. Like hey, I can you know, maybe come back to where I’m at, but let me see what I can get paid.

“So, and you’re going to have all these locker room dynamics where now you’re reading you got a player coming into school over there in East Tennessee that, you know, for $8 million dollars. Hasn’t played a down. And you got a locker room saying now wait, what if the guy doesn’t play? How’s that going to work? And how is the donor going to feel, that paid all that money when the guy’s not playing? So, you got a lot of things that haven’t been figured out at all.”

The Ole Miss coach has some salient points, as many have wondered if the current state of NIL is sustainable. While the development has been tremendous for athletes, pushback has been gaining steam from various sources.

Still, Kiffin believes there’s only one choice, whether you agree with the rules or not — evolving.

“If you don’t want to, if you’re not going to evolve with things, and okay here’s NIL, or here’s the transfer portal and we’re not going to do these things, you’ll be just like these coaches that want to stay in high formation football. That, oh we’re not going to evolve. We’re going to keep running pro style, under center football — look what’s happened to them,” stated Kiffin. “So, this is just the next thing — you better evolve.”

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss have certainly evolved with the times. While the impact NIL has had on the transfer portal will continue to raise questions, Kiffin will continue his cunning ways of finding success.