The new world order of transfer portals and NIL has Ole Miss recruiting to keep its own players
The college football landscape is one that has teams not only recruiting high school athletes but also working to pull current college players from other teams. A battle that Ole Miss and head coach Lane Kiffin found itself in this cycle.
A year ago Ole Miss was on an island all its own of sorts when it came to utilizing the transfer portal. The Rebels were a self-aware petri dish last season and the experiment of bringing in experienced Division I players to improve its own roster worked.
Now the rest of the college football world has entered the game of the transfer portal and NIL. No longer is Ole Miss and Kiffin flying under the radar. The aforementioned game has changed and created a new world order of recruiting.
“We’re just in a strange time,” Kiffin said during his National Signing Day press conference on Wednesday. “When (a) kid plays well you have to recruit him to stay. When a (transfer) window closes and we don’t lose significant players in the window it’s like we’re celebrating keeping our own players that weren’t even in the portal. We’re just keeping them from going to other places because it’s a constant battle.”
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The one player Ole Miss worked hard to keep within its ranks is running back Quinshon Judkins.
Judkins had a breakout freshman season that many outside of Kiffin and his staff did not see coming. The Pike Road, Ala. native secured the Southeastern Conference rushing title in his first year, racking up plenty of postseason accolades as well.
The ability to jump into the portal penalty free one time mixed with the allure of a hefty NIL asking price after a standout season like the one Judkins had in 2022 creates a difficult situation.
“The value of a young player that you can come take, like Quinshon, is more valuable than the great high school player because now he can’t leave again,” Kiffin said. “Now they’re actually recruiting even more or significant money being offered to someone like Quinshon because now you have him for the next two years no matter what, really. It’s very complicated.”
Watch Kiffin’s full press conference from Wednesday below. Video courtesy of Ole Miss Sports Production.
