Just because he left town in a private jet doesn’t mean that he didn’t leave some problems behind on the tarmac. After Lane Kiffin decided to take the LSU Tiger’s historic cash offer and part ways with the Ole Miss Rebels just before the start of the postseason, fans and analysts alike began to wonder, how exactly is a team supposed to compete at its highest level just days after losing its leader?
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Well, according to Cam Newton, they may simply choose to not compete at all. During the latest episode of his 4th & 1 podcast, the former face of the Carolina Panthers suggested that players “commit to the coach” first and foremost, and now that Kiffin has set the example, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see some of his now-former players follow in his footsteps.
“I will not be surprised if we see Ole Miss players opt out of the college football playoffs just to be eligible to make the transfer portal when it opens up on January 2nd… When you commit to a school, you don’t commit to the school, you commit to the coach. So wherever that coach go, hey, roll out… A lot of them receivers are really about to go to Wide Receiver U.”
Newton has jokingly referred to Kiffin as “Lane Zachariah” throughout his coverage of the ordeal, alluding to the fact that he doesn’t believe that Kiffin has been particularly honest or forthcoming at any point throughout the past several weeks. That notion seems to be somewhat supported by the fact that the program’s athletic director, Keith Carter, previously stated that “The players were concerned about commitment and those types of things,” suggesting that almost no one in Oxford, Mississippi, was trusting of Kiffin during his final days there.
The Rebels had reportedly “grown tired of the drama” and “were more worried about their position coaches staying” more so than anything else. This stands in direct contrast to Kiffin’s original assertion that the team would have wanted him to finish coaching them through the post season.
To be fair, that sounds more like a team that plans on seeing this postseason through together, but in Newton’s defense, nothing is guaranteed until some sort of an official announcement is made. The departure of Kiffin didn’t seem to impact them in the polls, as they were still listed as the sixth best team in the nation in the latest rankings update, so until further notice, fans should expect a perfect attendance from the Rebels in round one.
