When Lane Kiffin boarded a private jet and left Oxford, Miss., and the Ole Miss Rebels in his rear-view mirror for the LSU Tigers, it became pretty clear that he’d try to bring some of his former players with him. After he signed a big-money contract to become LSU’s new head football coach, things were supposed to change.
All Kiffin had to do was wait for the transfer portal to open. Now, it appears that one of his Ole Miss players might be moving one state over to play his college ball next season.
Which Ole Miss Player Is LSU HC Lane Kiffin Looking to Get?
According to College Football Insider for On3, Pete Nakos, Kiffin wants to bring linebacker T.J. Dottery to play for the Tigers.
“One of the top linebackers to hit the transfer portal this cycle will have a multitude of options,” Nakos wrote in a story for On3. “But the sense among sources is that LSU is the clear team to beat. Plenty of other top-25 programs will make calls to get in the mix. Ole Miss is still fighting to get Dottery back to Oxford.”
According to the PFSN CFB LB Impact metrics, which are measured through regular-season play, Dottery had an impact score of 74.3 and graded out to a C. In 15 games in 2025 for the Rebels, Dottery played 91.4% of the team’s defensive snaps. Dottery recorded 1.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and 54 tackles.
Additionally, Dottery’s college career has 172 tackles, 97 solo tackles, and six tackles for loss.
For Kiffin, if he’s able to bring Dottery into his new program, then that gives him someone who already understands what Kiffin wants to see on defense. It also helps Kiffin get a leg up on other teams that might be in the transfer portal, looking at defensive players who want to transfer to a new school immediately.
It will be interesting to see if Kiffin can get Dottery. According to reports, though, Kiffin has his eyes set on Dottery. Whether Dottery wants to play for Kiffin is unclear. But if he chooses to make Baton Rouge, La., his new home, Kiffin would probably make it well worth the decision.
Kiffin, whose candidacy for the LSU head coaching role was backed by Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, has his work cut out for him. He left Ole Miss, which made the College Football Playoff, for a school that hadn’t even been there.
Kiffin also has a lot of pressure to win now. Dottery would definitely help Kiffin reach lofty goals in the 2026 college football season if he can get his former player.
