Lane Kiffin on what Matt Corral's Heisman candidacy means for Ole Miss

Quarterback Matt Corral is having an electric season for No. 12 Ole Miss. Corral’s performance thus far has resulted in him being regarded as one of the nation’s favorites for this season’s Heisman Trophy. So far, Ole Miss is 3-0 and Corral has thrown for 997 yards, nine touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He has also rushed for 158 yards and five touchdowns.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was asked on Monday about what Corral’s status as a Heisman favorite means for the program. Kiffin said that for Corral it doesn’t mean anything, but that the national attention definitely has an impact on the recruiting trail.

“Again, for Matt, for this team, none of that means anything,” Kiffin said of Corral’s position as a contender for the Heisman. “Just like the final ranking. Being in the top for some Heisman media talk now means nothing. It only matters if you win the thing. But sure, there is something to that about the energy here. You go on the road recruiting like this week, and nationally everybody knows who Matt is.

“Everybody has watched us, and I feel like they know our team more than probably in a long time here. The Monday night game helped, having the spotlight that we did. So yeah, there’s a lot of energy around. But that can die really quick.”

Nick Saban praised Corral ahead of Alabama-Ole Miss

Ole Miss will take on No. 1 Alabama on Saturday in one of the most intriguing matchups of the season. Alabama head coach Nick Saban recently talked about Corral’s versatility, calling him one of the most versatile players in the nation.

“He played really well against us last year,” Saban said of Corral to reporters on Monday. “The guy is very elusive. He can extend plays, very accurate passer. Executes their offense extremely well. He can make plays with his feet, he does pull the ball every now and then. They do have a quarterback run here and there. Not a lot, but just enough to make you defend it on defense.

“The combination of things they do in the running game and passing game is difficult to defend. He is about as talented as a guy we’ve seen run and pass for a long time.”

Corral made history the last time he saw the field

Ole Miss was off during Week 4. But that doesn’t change the fact that Corral is coming off of a historic performance in the Rebels’ Week 3 victory over Tulane. In the 61-21 victory for Ole Miss, Corral was 23 of 31 with 335 passing yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 68 yards, adding four scores on the ground. Corral’s performance made him the first player in SEC history with three passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns in a single game.

Prior to the Ole Miss season opener, Kiffin made a bold prediction regarding Corral in the NFL Draft.

“I’ve said it all along, the guy is really special, and if he keeps playing like this the guy is going to make a lot of money as a top-10 NFL pick,” Kiffin said.

Corral has thrown for 5,935 yards, 46 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in his four-year career at Ole Miss. He has also run for 882 yards and 12 touchdowns. Last season, Corral was known for turning the ball over, as he threw 14 interceptions. So far this season, Corral has managed to avoid turnovers, with zero interceptions through three games.