'Lateral Move!' Rece Davis Says Lane Kiffin Has Better Job at Ole Miss Than Florida

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin seems to have an ideal scenario working in his favor in Oxford.

Sep 14, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin looks on before a game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Billy Napier is still the head coach of the Florida Gators, but that hasn't stopped speculation that Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin will be the next head man in Gainesville.

Florida is off to a 1-2 start in the 2024 season, and it appears that Napier is on the hot seat, if he's unable to turn things around. Kiffin's name seems to almost inevitably be linked to speculation surrounding jobs such as these, but would he take the Gators job if offered?

ESPN's Rece Davis isn't so sure. He recently spoke on The College GameDay Podcast about why Kiffin's situation at Ole Miss is currently better than what he would be walking into at Florida, and it doesn't have to do with on-field performance.

Tough situation at Florida. On the @CollegeGameDay pod some say one guy IS the list if the Gators make a move. Not that simple- at least not for the programs in their current states. Among the many topics for @PeteThamel @ESPNMcGee and me. https://t.co/EJYq9EMUfh pic.twitter.com/HPm1it9X8H

— Rece Davis (@ReceDavis) September 17, 2024

"I'm going to say this is going to throw some cold water on Florida and probably help Lane," Davis said. "As I said earlier, I'm not the biggest fan about this, but you also can't ignore the obvious, and you also can't ignore the obvious and pretend they won't go after Lane Kiffin.

"As we sit here right now, Lane Kiffin has a better job right now. He is, at best, making a lateral move, and it's not because Ole Miss is better than Florida right now. It's because they can get in on players now. They're aligned with their NIL, he makes the decisions, he's in charge, Lane has a better job."

That's not to say that Lane wouldn't entertain an offer from the Gators, but Davis does have a solid point. Ole Miss has been at the forefront of the NIL game since its advent, and the way the Rebels were able to build their roster out of the transfer portal this offseason is a testament to that.

Ole Miss reeled in the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country this year, per 247Sports, and many of those transfers are already making impacts on the field in Oxford. Running back Henry Parrish Jr., wide receiver Juice Wells and defensive linemen Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen are leading the way in that category.

Kiffin seems to have almost the perfect scenario going with the Rebels this season, so it might be difficult to lure him away to another SEC job. Anything is possible in the realm of college coaching, but there is still a lot of football to be played between now and the coaching carousel at the end of the year.