Lane Kiffin Reveals Surprising Pick For 'Most-Improved' Ole Miss Rebel in Fall Camp

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin believes that Tre Harris is one of the "most-improved" players on his roster entering this season.

Dec 30, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Tre Harris (9) tries for a catch against Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Cam Miller (5) during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

It didn't take long for Ole Miss Rebels fans to become enamored with wide receiver Tre Harris.

Harris transferred to Oxford from Louisiana Tech last offseason, and he started his Rebel career with a bang, snagging four touchdown receptions in the season opener against Mercer. He finished the year as Ole Miss' leader in receiving yardage (985) and receiving scores (8) despite missing a game due to injury.

Conventional wisdom would suggest that Harris was already playing at his full potential, but head coach Lane Kiffin thinks that he has taken his game to another level this offseason in preparation for his last year of college ball.

"This may sound strange," Kiffin said on Monday. "If we were to vote on most-improved players right now from last season, I would put Tre Harris in that group, which is saying a lot for basically a 1,000-yard receiver [who missed] some games.

"He's just really had a great mindset all offseason. Sometimes guys come back, and they're a little comfortable and kind of going through the motions because they know they're supposed to have this big season. He has really pushed himself out there."

Sep 9, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Tre Harris (9) catches a pass for a touchdown against the Tulane Green Wave during the first half at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

One part of practice that has illustrated Harris' motivation is his constant battle against transfer cornerback Trey Amos. This "Tre-on-Trey" matchup has been highlighted by Ole Miss' social media team during camp as a best-of-the-best battle leading up to the season.

"The [Tre Harris vs. Trey Amos] matchup is really cool to see because they both are highly-motivated, competitive individuals," Kiffin said. "So it's really exciting to have him. I think this has a chance to be a really special year for him."

Harris has not been shy about his expectations for the 2024 season. He elected to come back to Oxford for another year because he felt that great things were in store for the Rebels, and he wanted to be a part of the story.

"We all felt like we had something more to accomplish," Harris said. "Whenever you have that feeling, especially in college, these are moments and memories that we're going to remember forever. That's something that's going to be core memories for us when we're 50, 60 years old.

"Whenever we decided to make that decision, we all came to each other and were like, 'Hey, if we all decide we want to come back and do something again, this is going to be a really, really good year for us.' The new format with the 12-team playoff was also a huge factor in us making that decision, as well."

Harris and the Rebels will continue their march through fall camp until the season opener at home against the FCS Furman Paladins on Aug. 31. Kickoff in that game is set for 6 p.m. CT, and it will be televised on SEC Network+.