Everything Lane Kiffin said to open Week 4 of Ole Miss spring football practices

Ole Miss football went to work in full pads on Tuesday to open the fourth week of spring practices.

The Rebels only have a few practices left. They’ll put on ‘Meet the Rebels’ on Saturday instead of a traditional end-of-spring scrimmage. The festivities run from 1-3 p.m. CT in the Manning Center and admission is free.

Now-sixth-year head coach Lane Kiffin held court with local media following practice to discuss the progress the Rebels have made to this point, as well as impressions from the latest team scrimmage, held last Friday. 

Here’s everything he had to say.

OPENING STATEMENT

KIFFIN: Kind of because of potential weather issues we scrimmaged on Friday instead of Saturday. It was good to kind of change that up with them without them knowing. A lot of plays, a lot of things out there for evaluation. We just continue to try and evaluate with so many new players, especially defensively, so it’s really good to go into the stadium and try and create a scrimmage/game-ish atmosphere. That was good. We’ll continue to try and do that and keep pushing on.

Pleased with the guys’ effort. Worked a lot on tackling (Tuesday) and different drills and full pads. They did a really good job. So, excited about this group and continuing to work with them.

ON THE OLE MISS SECONDARY

KIFFIN: There’s some injuries there with some guys not practicing. So, that’s part of the concern, too. There’s just not a lot of numbers there, and certainly not much experience playing. It’s just something we’ll have to work through and continue to push guys. Hopefully when these guys, a couple of guys, come back from injuries it’ll look better.

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ON THE NCAA SETTLEMENT CASE

KIFFIN: It’s kind of like giving a game plan, you know, for that game Saturday. It’s pretty strategic. I think different people are doing different things, so I can’t really get into that, but it is just a continuation of a very complicated system. Even more now that you don’t even know exactly what the rules are or cap or when that is going to start. There’s even rules of what her judgement does in certain parts and when they’re supposed to start at that point. I don’t think anybody knows the exact answer of what to do. People are just doing different things.

ON THE FRUSTRATION OF A WORKING INSIDE AN UNDEFINED SYSTEM

KIFFIN: There’s a bunch of different options of how to do this that different people are doing. There’s some risk in there, too. It’s really not ideal, but it is what it is. It’s very complicated, actually — the answers within there of what to do. And then it does or doesn’t go through, and which parts do, and potentially people could be in really tough situations if they choose A or B of those options and then it doesn’t go through.

ON THE APRIL PORTAL

KIFFIN: We’re seeing a lot. There’s some injuries I wish we’d have some better evals on, including a couple of new guys that haven’t done anything. But there’s so much unknown on that part of the portal coming and the judgement. You’re always concerned of your own guys. I think we’re fortunate that a while back when the SEC rule was made, that was a really good decision, because I think all coaches are concerned this time of year of their own players, and that would obviously have set up a bad system of eating their own and not just eating their own, driving prices up. 

ON THE OLE MISS LINEBACKERS

KIFFIN: It’s been great for those new guys. Three new guys that have played a lot in there. So, that’s been a really good opportunity for them. Tyler Banks has been really good for us. We just look at the positives of it, and when (injured LBs TJ Dottery and Suntarine Perkins) are back, they’ll be back. 

ON OLE MISS STRATEGY SESSIONS ON THE COURT CASE

KIFFIN: Retired coaches wouldn’t be able to do much because there’s no history of dealing with this. I’ve had conversations with other coaches. There’s some strategy, and there’s kind of like off-season studies and stuff where they’re only going to give you so much. But Keith (Carter), Walker (Jones) and Billy (Glasscock), our GM, there’s a lot of conversations in there strategically.

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ON OLE MISS LB TYLER BANKS

KIFFIN: He’s a great story. Great job by his parents raising him. Now when nobody, for the most part, stays when it doesn’t go exactly their way, he’s rare. To have played special teams, played some defense, but not start, he’s wanted to and stayed all the way through. It’s a really rare story nowadays. It really goes into the benefits of the system for the players. There’s major costs for the system and staying places and continuing to get better in systems and seeing things through and going there and graduating from where you started. It’s just rare in our sport. With what’s going on in basketball it’s extremely rare. 

Can this actually really be good for a student-athlete? You’ve got the NFL to do that. You’ve got professional sports to do that. There’s some really good stuff for the players, but I think there’s much more cost to the player that they don’t know because they’re just so excited to have money and that’s going to solve everything in life. They think so. I think down the road we’ll see that there’s a lot of problems that are going to come out of the system and just jumping around all the time for the next paycheck.

ON THE OLE MISS RUNNING BACKS

KIFFIN: Logan (Diggs) has done a really good job. Last year he never got healthy — even in the end when we played him in the bowl game. That’s been good for him to have an off-season. He looks more comfortable playing without a brace. Kewan (Lacy) has done a good job transitioning (from Missouri) and coming over. We’ve added some other guys there to create competition, which has been good. 

ON OLE MISS WR CALEB ODOM

KIFFIN: Made some really big plays today. You know, transition to being a full-time receiver, still working on that and all the stuff that goes with that and the splits and all the rules and releases. He’s done a great job.