Lane Kiffin expects big things from Mac Jones in NFL: ‘He’s a great competitor’
By Jake Rill
Published:
Mac Jones had some impressive performances during his redshirt junior season at Alabama in 2020. But none were more efficient than his showing at Ole Miss last Oct. 10.
During that game, Jones completed 28 of his 32 pass attempts for a season-high 87.5 completion percentage. He passed for 417 yards and two touchdowns while leading the Crimson Tide to a 63-48 win in the third game of their undefeated season.
That showing impressed Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, the former Alabama offensive coordinator who was in his first year leading the Rebels. And he came away impressed with Jones, who is now with the New England Patriots and preparing for his first NFL season after getting taken with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Kiffin shared his thoughts on Jones during an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Thursday, and he had nothing but positive things to say.
“I know Mac well. He’s a great competitor, a phenomenal student of the game,” Kiffin said on the show. “He’s gonna study, he’s gonna know everything about it. I think he’s going to do really well. … He was extremely accurate with his deep ball throws. Now, over 2 years, having 4 first-rounders [at wide receiver] helps your accuracy, too, but he did a great job.”
Jones may be behind Cam Newton on the Pats’ depth chart entering the 2021 season, but he’ll likely become the team’s starting quarterback at some point in the near future. That’s why he was the first QB drafted in the first round by New England since Drew Bledsoe in 1993.
On Thursday, Jones is making his preseason debut for the Patriots, who will be on the road taking on the Washington Football Team. It’s the first of three preseason contests for New England, as Jones will look to make a strong impression in game action.
Jones and the Patriots are set to kick off against Washington at 7:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
