Team Bonding Critical For Lane Kiffin's Transfer-Heavy Rebels in 2024

The Ole Miss Rebels feature a transfer-heavy roster in 2024, and uniting as a team will be a big factor in their on-field success this fall.

Jul 15, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin speaking at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS -- There's no denying that a large part of the Ole Miss Rebels' recruiting philosophy the last few seasons has revolved around the transfer portal.

Head coach Lane Kiffin has been dubbed "The Portal King" for his efforts in the transfer market, and last season, those efforts paid off as the Rebels secured their first-ever 11-win season in program history. Once again, the 2024 edition of Ole Miss' roster will feature a ton of players who came to Oxford by way of the portal, but it takes work to acclimate these new faces to a new scheme and culture after they pledge to a given school.

The 2022 season also featured a lot of transfer players in Oxford, and although Ole Miss started the year with an 8-1 record, a late loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide at home seemed to derail any and all momentum the team had, marking one of four-straight losses to close out the year.

Did the transfer-heavy locker room fold under adversity, and, if so, how can Kiffin and his staff ensure that the 2024 Rebels are more like last season's and not the year prior?

"Yeah, I think in a way, you know, we've
kind of had some examples to learn from," Kiffin said at SEC Media Days on Monday. "We've done
what is considered well in the portal for a number
of years now.
Two years ago, I think we were 8-1 or something, playing
Coach Saban and had the ball going down to score at
home, and if we score in the red zone the last drive, we're
going to 9-1, and then fall apart and don't play well.
I think lose the last four or five or something.

"Then last
year go 11-2 and play well with a lot of portal-heavy
players.
So in that is what I've said for years now, which I think
there is so much of that bonding and them coming together
or else everybody would say just go get a top free agency
team in the NBA. That doesn't always work.
"

Kiffin often draws comparisons between the current state of college athletics and the professional ranks, routinely referring to the transfer portal as "free agency." It's an apt description, and even though the portal strategy evolves from year to year, the returning pieces on rosters such as this are just as important as the incoming talent.

That's one aspect of Ole Miss' 2024 roster that is so intriguing. Sure, there are plenty of new faces like DL Walter Nolen, WR Juice Wells and others, but the Rebels also return key leaders like QB Jaxson Dart and WR Tre Harris.

"I do think there is a good mixture of it," Kiffin said. "There is a lot of
really good portal players, but you have so many players
coming back which we didn't have two seasons ago that
know our expectations, know how we want things done,
and know what our culture is.
So that certainly helps.

"Three of them are here today that
came back instead of going to the NFL and understand
how we do things."

Those three player representatives for Ole Miss on Monday were the aforementioned Dart and Harris alongside DL Jared Ivey. All of them discussed leadership aspects of their game, but Harris in particular described the difference between healthy and unhealthy team cultures and what can make the 2024 one land in the former category.

"The difference this year is that, since you know everybody on this team in talented, you have to bring something extra," Harris said. "You have to bring that extra 'umph,' I guess you could say. Everybody goes out there, whether it's OTAs, regular running or team running, everybody's out there trying to push each other to go as hard as possible.

"That's one thing that everybody understands: with there being so much talent on our team, there's a lot of guys who are going to be NFL Draft eligible. A lot of guys, we understand what our end goal is, not only just trying to get to the national title, but also trying to get to the NFL. We all push each other to get to that goal."

Team chemistry is always important, but it's even more critical when there is a roster that carries as many expectations as this Ole Miss squad. The Rebels will open their season at home against the FCS Furman Paladins on Aug. 31.