Beating the drum one more time for Ole Miss' Grove Collective

Can I beat this drum one more time? And then again whenever we need a drum roll on this upcoming subject for Ole Miss?

Praise to Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss coaching staff for having us 6-1 and staring down the barrel of a potential banner – yes, I said banner – season. Kiffin and company are pulling some master strokes in strategy and the ability to adjust on the fly.

From my cheap seat, Lane earned a big chunk of his hefty paycheck bringing in defensive coordinator Pete Golding. In case you haven’t caught it the first hundred times I have written this – I am a fan of Golding, from his recruiting to his coaching style to his sideline presence to his playcalling.

It says here we are a handful of players, and some maturation of some young guys when they get here, away from being elite on that side of the ball.

Praise these current Ole Miss football players for bonding, working hard, doing as directed by their mentors, being a true band of Rebels. They are proving what unselfishness, effort and getting the most out of their obviously immense ability is all about.

In this age of the transfer portal, it’s a delicate balancing act of attaining a quick bond. If you bring in top notch talent, you are bound to have some big egos, but this group of guys has done nothing but work for the good of the team that I can detect.

There will always be the occasional knucklehead that infiltrates the ranks, but when the team-oriented, quality guys overwhelmingly outnumber the screwballs, it all works itself out. They either fall in line or leave and both options make the team better. Sometimes subtraction is as meaningful and effective as addition.

But the drum I am going to beat more loudly than the aforementioned, simply because nobody else does, not because it is more important, are the results, impact and influence on this team of The Grove Collective and the NIL program we have at Ole Miss.

In case you have head your head under a rock, GC is one of the most respected, productive and powerful NIL in the country, an alpha dog in the world of collectives.

And that’s means a thunderous handclap to you, Ole Miss fans who support GC.

As I have written many times before, and believe with all my heart and soul, the Grove Collective – you – are as big a reason as any for the Rebs’ success.

For proof, imagine this team without wide receiver Tre Harris. Without quarterback Jaxson Dart. Without running back Quinshon Judkins or tight end Caden Prieskorn or cornerback Zamari Walton or defensive lineman Jared Ivey or any of the dozens of players who came to Ole Miss with very good NIL deals that clinched their recruitment.

And it’s not just the new players on the roster. There was ample opportunity for CB Deantre Prince or right tackle Micah Pettus or linebacker Ashanti Cistrunk or safety Trey Washington to have jumped ship easily if not for the Grove Collective.

Certainly, we aren’t saying the coaches didn’t have a huge hand in all of them being here, from locating them to recruiting them, but don’t discount the benefit of competitive NIL money in their decisions. It is a major factor in player’s final decision – I’ve seen it first hand many times.

From William Liston, who started the GC, to Walker Jones, who now runs the well-oiled operation, to you who give to it so Ole Miss can procure top level talent, a big thank you.

I’m sure you are like me – enjoying the hell out of this success.

So, no matter what or who you want to credit, you will be correct. Lane? For sure. The staff? Absolutely. The players? Without a doubt.

But if you leave out your efforts you are doing yourself a huge injustice.

You and the Grove Collective are right there on the same level of importance as any other factor for this team being in line for some big results.

Keep giving if you want Ole Miss to keep winning.

Yes, it is that critical.