Lane Kiffin raves about 'best class' for Ole Miss since he's been head coach

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin spoke with the media on Wednesday after signing what he believes is the best recruiting class since he’s been in Oxford. Here’s what he had to say to reporters in attendance.

Opening statement:“Exciting day for Ole Miss. A lot of really good players coming here. I think this is our best class, since we’ve been here, of high school players. I think that’s a product of a lot of things. Assistant coaches working really hard, doing a really good job. We have a good general manager, Billy Glasscock, keeping things together. I think that’s a product of a lot of winning seasons. Since these guys have gone to high school, all they’ve done is see us win. For their time, third-winningest program in the SEC. Sitting alone behind Georgia and Alabama. That’s critical for players to see over time, that they know a place wins. It’s a really exciting class of a lot of players, a lot of different spots and some positions of need. For the third year in a row, signed the No. 1 player in the state, which is huge.”

In-state recruiting efforts from the Rebels: “Like I said, I think there are a number of factors. I think being dominant over their time in the Egg Bowls. All the in-state kids between us and State. The programs have been extremely different. Not taking any shots, just wins and losses since we’ve been here. The two programs are dramatically different. Two programs that are in different directions. They see that, so that knocks out State for the kids. I think more kids now stay here, where before they were leaving because they felt I gotta go wherever it was, LSU, Alabama, Auburn because I want a chance to win more. Now they’ve seen you can do that here. I think Kelvin Bolden has a lot of connections here. He’s done a really good job with in-state players, developing relationships. He’s been very critical for that as well.”

On recruiting a large high school class for Ole Miss: “We have percentages by position of our overall cap much like you have in the NFL. You gotta have numbers because of just turnover now. I think you’re going to see massive roster turnovers around the country and we had a lot of seniors also. Just because our system adopts and moves, I think as well as anybody, what we do. We do that whether it’s offensively or defensively. We’re always evolving. To collectives to portals. The best way to build a roster long term is not to go to the portal every year. That’s not the best way to do it. I’d love to be at a place where you can sign top-five high school classes every single year and then it’s a lot easier to retain them. In the market value a lot of times, it’s easier getting a hometown discount once they’re there. That’s not been able to be the case, maybe someday it will be at Ole Miss. We had to go address needs, we had to go portal and that was the only way to continue this success. Hopefully win this postseason game and three of the last four seasons, have 10 win seasons. The names of teams that have won 10 wins, they’re all your national name brands and Ole Miss so that’s pretty exciting.”

On Ole Miss signing 5-star WR Caleb Cunningham: “He could be huge, that was really big. He’s a great player that at one point looked like he was leaving the State, (then) got him back. Great kid, great family and a position of need next year with losing so much there. We have very high expectations for him next year. He’s been here a lot. They see the success and if they stay, they can envision it happening, stuff helps.”

On not taking a QB and his portal thoughts on the position: “I think we’re kind of new-age in analytics, salary cap, roster management and I think a lot of people still kind of do the same thing. I’ve said now for two years, I think you gotta be really careful with that with high school quarterbacks in my opinion. Sometimes we’re in on a guy and then sometimes the price gets too high and that’s the world we live in now. You got salary caps. I just think when you put in a ton of money into that, it’s just such a transfer position that usually doesn’t play in Year 1 and look around the country of what you’re about to see coming up here. You’re going to see a lot of these high-priced guys from a year ago, go in the portal, so they just blew all that money. Once these guys or one that we were recruiting, the price goes too high, and the other school wants to pay him, it just doesn’t really fit in the salary cap model for retention over time.”

On 4-star Ole Miss RB signee Shekai Mills-Knight:

“I think he’s got tremendous upside. Really big, physical running back, which we missed this year not having. As you relook at the year, I think that was a big difference in a lot of critical situations, where the big guys fall forward and make some extra yards. Obviously had to go to d-tackle for a lot of those situations. We have high hopes for him.”

On Devin Harper and Ole Miss OL class: “I just think it’s shown how our program’s changed from when we got here. That just wouldn’t have happened. Really couldn’t do it with an in-state kid here over them. Ability to show how we win now and that you can achieve everything that you can at these other places when they weren’t sure of that before. I think these are some really big linemen that have big upside, more traditional SEC type of linemen that’s really good. Sometimes when you have undersized guys you can take them only so far.”

On Ole Miss staff having a budget: “We’ve operated that way for a while. We’ve looked at it that way even thought there wasn’t revenue sharing with a cap. There’s not a cap, just so we’re clear. This idea that there’s revenue sharing and everyone’s the same, that’s not what’s happening. There’s still collectives, even donors outside of that. Just saw a very notable one get arguably the best player in the country. Don’t think this is the NFL and it’s figured out and it’s revenue sharing and everyone’s equal. That’s not what’s happening. It just sounded good when they presented it, to be bluntly.”

If Ole Miss class impacts the transfer portal: “It doesn’t quite as much (impact) because these guys are younger. Sometimes if you’re looking in the portal and they’re younger players with three years of experience, which I think there’s going to be more of that too because you’re gonna see a ton of freshmen go in because of the money part of this aspect…just get ready for a giant free agency all over the country. Once they announce the revenue sharing and that there’s this much money, a lot of parents, a lot of kids could be perfectly happy with where they’re at, they’re going in (the portal).”