Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin 'Open' to Facing Deion Sanders, Jackson State in Future

Deion Sanders' presence at Jackson State could eventually have the Tigers facing Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss.

Lane Kiffin isn't opposed to sharing the spotlight with the other coaches found in Mississippi. After all, there's a trio of characters that call the Magnolia State home. 

In Oxford, it's Kiffin, coming off Ole Miss' first 10-win regular season in program history. In Starkville, it's Mike Leach, the fun-loving uncle who knows offenses like the back of his hand and countless anecdotes of pirate trivia. 

Then, there's Deion Sanders in Jackson. Perhaps the biggest personality of them all, the Jackson State coach has been hellbent on turning the Tigers into one of college football's finest programs regardless of competition or conference status.

Kiffin has been pleased with Sanders' coaching development and wouldn't be opposed to scheduling a matchup with Jackson State in the future. 

"It's been great to see Deion's success and how well he's doing," Kiffin said Monday at SEC Media Days. "I don't know future plans on that, but that would be exciting." 

Ole Miss and Jackson State have never played each other since the Tigers' inaugural season in 1911. The Rebels have never played one of Mississippi's historically black college football teams before, but they will face Alcorn State at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium during the 2028 season. 

Sanders continues to bring in premier talent to the JSU program since his arrival in 2020. Last season, the Tigers landed Collins Hill cornerback Travis Hunter over programs such as Alabama, Florida State and Georgia.  

Hunter was SI All-American's No. 1 player of the 2022 recruiting cycle. The Tigers also added transfers from major programs, including receiver Rico Powers (South Carolina), tight end Keveon Mullins (South Carolina), receiver Cameron Buckley (Indiana), offensive tackle Simi Moala (Utah), defensive end Josh Griffis (Florida State) and linebacker Antonio Doyle (Texas A&M).

The Rebels open the season against Troy at home on Sept. 3.

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