Lane Kiffin Discusses Direction of Ole Miss, Mississippi State Programs, Impact on In-State Recruiting

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin discussed how the different directions of the two in-state Power Five programs impacted this year's recruiting in Mississippi.

The Ole Miss Rebels reeled in a big haul on Wednesday's Early Signing Day, and a large portion of their signees came from within the state of Mississippi.

If you count junior college products who elected to sign with Ole Miss, the Rebels brought in 11 players from the state of Mississippi on Wednesday. Head coach Lane Kiffin discussed what made his staff successful in in-state recruiting this season, including differences in his program and that of the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

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"I think there's combinations of things that go into that," Kiffin said. "I think this was a really good year in-state of players, especially defensive linemen. I feel like it was the best in-state class of high-level players since we've been here.

"It certainly helps the different direction of the two programs in-state. That always helps when one program's going one way, and the other one's going the other."

Mississippi State failed to reach a bowl game in 2023 while Ole Miss will be participating in the New Year's Six with a Peach Bowl berth on Dec. 30. The Rebels also took down the Bulldogs in Starkville this season in the annual Egg Bowl, picking up a 17-7 win on Thanksgiving.

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It's no secret that the current era of college recruiting is different than years past, but it never hurts when your in-state competition is going through some struggles on the field. For now, Ole Miss has that luxury when looking at Mississippi State, but things can change quickly in the Egg Bowl.

Time will tell if this trend holds up.