Safety Teja Young Brings Familiarity From FAU to Ole Miss Defense
Teja Young, a recent transfer from the Florida Atlantic Owls, is familiar with Lane Kiffin, and he has brought that familiarity to the roster of the Ole Miss Rebels.
Kiffin was the head coach at FAU before making the move to Ole Miss in 2020. While there, Kiffin recruited Young out of high school where he went on to play under him for two years.
Even though Kiffin has plenty of experience as a head coach, Young has seen him grow and change in that role over the years.
"From 2018 when I first met Lane to now, I feel like he has grown as a person, player and coach," Young said. "He has grown more social with the team and is a good leader. There is never any confusion with coaches, and everybody is on the same page."
Young explained he has no problems learning the Pete Golding defense, since his former defensive coordinator Mike Stoops at FAU runs "the same exact defense," bringing it back to both coaches' Alabama origins.
"My comfort level is pretty good with this defense," Young said.
Between having previous playing history under Kiffin to running the same defense that he did at FAU, Young is feeling comfortable and confident moving into his final season of collegiate eligibility.
He is the FAU all-time pick-six leader with four, while tallying 160 tackles including 83 solo in his five years in Florida.
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