Lane Kiffin jokingly downplays freshman WR to avoid losing him in the portal
By Mark Kern
Published:
Lane Kiffin and the media are a match made in heaven, as you are guaranteed for some kind of entertainment. Add the fact that Ole Miss was coming off a huge 24-19 win against No. 4 LSU on Saturday, and there was zero doubt that Kiffin would make some headlines with his comments.
Freshman wide receiver Winston Watkins had three catches for 38 yards, showcasing the potential that has Kiffin thinking he could be a huge player for the Rebels in the future.
Kiffin was asked after the game about his freshman receiver, but Kiffin was a little reluctant to give too much praise in today’s college football.
“Winnie’s going to be a great player here,” Kiffin said before back-tracking with a smile on his face. “Shoot, I’m not supposed to say that because now everybody will go buy him in the portal. Forgot I’m not supposed to do that anymore. I mean, he is just okay, you know. Really doesn’t know his plays and stuff. So, it will be a couple years before he is good.
“No, Winnie is awesome, and he’s a really good player.”
Watkins had only three catches for 46 yards entering the game, but nearly had those numbers in the biggest game of the season. Watkins may be a great player in the future, but the future might be closer than originally expected.
The Rebels will be off next week, and then have another home game against Washington State on Oct. 11.
