'Know What You're Getting!' Ole Miss Rebels Coach Lane Kiffin Reveals Reason For Signing Transfer CB Trey Amos

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin revealed on Tuesday some of the key reasons his team claimed Trey Amos out of the transfer portal this offseason.

Ole Miss Rebels WR Tre Harris (red jersey) and cornerback Trey Amos / Ole Miss Athletics

OXFORD - The Ole Miss Rebels social media team is playing up the battles between cornerback Trey Amos and wide receiver Tre Harris this spring, and for good reason.

These two names are some of the best in the Southeastern Conference at their respective positions, but that's not all that they can bring to the table. When Amos entered the transfer portal from the Alabama Crimson Tide this offseason, he settled on Oxford as his new home, and it was a quick decision from head coach Lane Kiffin and defensive coordinator Pete Golding to welcome him with open arms.

Although Amos and Golding were not at Alabama during the same period of time, they had crossed paths before when the corner entered the portal from the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns prior to joining the Tide. Golding tried to woo him to Oxford then, but he will finally suit up for the Rebels this fall.

On Tuesday, Kiffin revealed some of the decision making process that helped the staff decide that Amos was a good fit on the Ole Miss roster, and it goes beyond just his ability on the field. Having been trained by the now-retired Nick Saban had a lot to do with it too.

"We had looked at him before and really thought he was a special and unique player, well before Pete's background with him," Kiffin said. "This time around, having Pete here and a relationship played into that, but I think he is a really good player. Phenomenal work ethic, phenomenal culture guy.

"I think, too, just like we hire assistant coaches from Alabama, you know what you're getting from Coach Saban. I think when you get players, but especially DBs, you know how they've been trained and what they're used to."

Kiffin was then asked to elaborate on his earlier statement and provide details on just what a team gets from a Saban disciple, whether it be in the coaching business or in a player.

"I just think Coach Saban is so special and the culture and how people are trained there, you used to interview people and air on the side of hiring people," Kiffin said, "and you knew what you were getting because he had trained them. When you spin that to a player, you know their coached really well, but you also know their mindset. That's a big deal."

Kiffin himself is a former Saban product, having spent the 2014-16 seasons with the Tide as the offensive coordinator before reviving his head coaching career at Florida Atlantic. If anyone has seen and understands the inner workings of a Saban system, it's Kiffin, and that appears to have played a big role in the decision to pursue (and eventually land) Amos' talents.

That should pay dividends on the field this season, as well. Over the course of his career with Louisiana and Alabama, the corner has accumulated 71 total tackles (52 solo) and one interception.