Greg McElroy Reveals Biggest Concern With Lane Kiffin's Portal Strategy at Ole Miss

Lane Kiffin has brought a ton of talent to the Ole Miss Rebels by way of the transfer portal, but does that strategy come with some risks?

Jul 15, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin speaking at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin would likely be the first to say that transfer portal recruiting is not an easy venture.

At SEC Media Days in Dallas, Kiffin discussed some of the "cultural" differences between his 2022 and 2023 transfer-heavy rosters, citing that the 2022 team did not seem to have the resolve to withstand late adversity in the season. Last year's team, however, seemed to be a different story, setting a program record with 11 wins in a single season.

It's obvious that Ole Miss is once again relying heavily on the transfer portal for the 2024 campaign, landing marquee names like defensive lineman Walter Nolen, edge rusher Princely Umanmielen and wide receiver Juice Wells this offseason. While these additions are certainly talented, the issue of building a team culture is not always an exact science, and college football analyst Greg McElroy discussed that challenge on a recent edition of Always College Football.

"There is a little bit of an issue when you rely as heavily on the portal as Lane Kiffin does," McElroy said. "You might get more experience by going to the portal. You might ultimately get more talented players in certain spots, but what you get from the high school recruiting class is buy-in. You get guys that understand how things work in your building. And when things don’t go well, they’re going to come closer because they really love the place that they’re at.

"If you’re going to a place because of what you’re getting in NIL...you might not be as willing, when things get difficult, to stick together, come together, and just pull you way out of an adverse situation.”

The 2022 transfer portal strategy didn't "pay off" as well for Kiffin and the Rebels (although they did finish with an 8-5 record). Last year, it seemed to work wonders. Can they replicate that success this season?

“I think that Lane did a great job last year,” McElroy said. “But every year, when you’re turning the roster over like this and go to the portal to fortify your needs, it’s going to be harder and harder to continue to create a culture that naturally exists. Something that has to be worked on. I’m not sure Lane has found the balance, but we’re going to find out this year because the expectations are real.”

McElroy seems to believe that Ole Miss is in good shape this fall, however, based on some previous comments. He recently stated that he expects the Rebels to surpass their projected Vegas win total of 9.5, putting them in the ballpark of a 10-2 regular season.

That would be considered a successful season and likely have Ole Miss in the running for a College Football Playoff berth, but a lot of this potential boils down to whether or not the Rebels can unite as a single unit and face adversity when the time comes.