Lane Kiffin is spending a busy offseason to ensure a successful transition from the Brian Kelly era. However, the thought of him walking away from an 11-1 Ole Miss squad and one firmly positioned inside the top 10 of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s rankings at the time remains like a nightmare to many Rebels fans.
Cam Newton Applauds Pushes for Grit in Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rivalry
Kiffin’s former quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss, won his legal battle and has now secured eligibility for a sixth year of college football. Ole Miss is thrilled that its starting quarterback will return in 2026, while Kiffin caught some playful shade from Cam Newton after the news broke.
“I wanted him to come back,” Newton said about Chambliss’ return. “I was rooting for the kid. Because I need (the) Ole Miss vs LSU game to have so much toxicity in it. When Ole Lane comes back to Oxford, it’ll make it hard for them, and I want Ole Miss at their best. Congratulations, Trinidad.”
For many Ole Miss fans, Kiffin’s move to a powerhouse like LSU felt like a betrayal, given the heated rivalry in the SEC. Kiffin reportedly took issue with some of the criticism from Rebels fans, though a source told ESPN that the situation was essentially a “self-inflicted wound.”
The love-hate feelings will be fully on display when Ole Miss welcomes LSU on Sept. 19 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Week 3 game will serve as the SEC opener for both programs and mark the first time Kiffin squares off against his former team since leaving.
Even before that upcoming game, Kiffin found himself in the spotlight during the Ole Miss women’s basketball matchup against LSU, which fans nicknamed the ‘Lane Kiffin Bowl.’ The Tigers closed the game on a 24-7 run in the fourth quarter to secure a 78-70 win, offering Rebels fans at least an indirect sense of revenge.
As for Ole Miss football, the major question revolves around how Chambliss and the Rebels will fare without Kiffin and much of the previous offensive staff. However, it’s worth remembering that Chambliss led Ole Miss to the CFP semifinals amid all the Kiffin-related turmoil.
As for Chambliss’ eligibility discussion, Newton shared his verdict:
“I’m going to tell you the loophole was that COVID year. People ain’t realizing COVID wasn’t it wasn’t real. Everybody was asleep. Folks was able to play and it didn’t count. There was a lot of like, What are we doing? But I’m not mad at it.”
“Because Trinidad Chambliss is not the first person to benefit off of loopholes. He’s a good player. Some would say, Hey, go to the league. Well, Trinidad said, ‘Hold on.’ The money that I can make in the league, I ain’t no guaranteed Top 5 pick now. I need to get that coin while I’m in Oxford.”
With Chambliss officially returning, PFSN’s College Football Playoff Meter projects Ole Miss to have a 47.93% chance of reaching the Playoff in 2026.
