"Just a really stupid system": Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin lashes out on transfer portal rules in scathing rant

Lane Kiffin, the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, has given his opinion on a new NCAA rule relating to the transfer portal.

From now on, players who transfer multiple times during their career will be immediately eligible to play for their new program, similar to those who transfer for the first time. Before this rule changes, players who have already transferred must sit out for a season before becoming eligible.

Asked if he expects a busier spring portal, Lane Kiffin said Tuesday:

"I do, obviously, because they can transfer multiple times."

Kiffin added:

"Here again, just a really stupid system. But hey, good for players. It is good for them financially. I don't know if that is really good for them to leave any time when something goes wrong. They're just going to run no matter what."

Kiffin believes that this new rule will be taken advantage of by the players, who will financially benefit from the instant eligibility.

As the money surrounding college football, both on the conference level and the individual players (due to the NIL), increases, players are more likely to transfer to teams and conferences where they can gain more money via their name, image and likeness deals.

The old rules were able to stop players from constantly changing schools because they would have to sit out for a season if they were to transfer more than once. This would greatly impact their career, as one missed year could be the difference between being an NFL draft pick and not being on any NFL teams' radar.

But with the new rules, there is nothing to stop a player who is unhappy about their playtime effecting a potential NIL deal from transferring to a new program every season.

Lane Kiffin is not a fan of these rules, but as Ole Miss is a top college football program, the Rebels will likely benefit from immediately playing a top star who is at his third school in three years.

"We're going to utilize it just like the player ... and make the best roster we can," Kiffin said.

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss in 2024

2024 will be Lane Kiffin's fifth year in charge of the Ole Miss Rebels, and he will hope to respond to what was an impressive 2023 season for the Rebels.

Last season, the Rebels had their first 11-win season in their history, as they made the Peach Bowl, where they would defeat the Penn State Nittany Lions. Kiffin would want to improve on it this season in a new SEC landscape.

However, this may not be easy. In the offseason, the Rebels lost star running back Quinshon Judkins to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

However, quarterback Jaxon Dart is still in Oxford. He will be accompanied by wide receiver Tre Harris, as well as a strong collection of players obtained in the transfer portal, which includes former LSU Tigers running back Logan Diggs, who will be on his third team, and thanks to the rule change, will be instantly available to make a difference for the Rebels.