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As Lane Kiffin concludes his first season as Ole Miss’ head coach with an Outback Bowl matchup against No. 11 Indiana, he and his staff are doing everything they can to prevent further opt-outs before the game on January 2.
Ole Miss has already seen several opt-outs this season, including All-American receiver Elijah Moore, but Kiffin says there is a concerted effort to “recruit” his own players to stick around for the Outback Bowl.
Kiffin shared this information during his Monday media availability.
Ole Miss coach @Lane_Kiffin just said he and his staff are having to recruit some of their players to play in the Outback Bowl. He said a handful of players are "up in the air" as to whether to opt-out or not.
— Neal McCready (@NealMcCready) December 28, 2020
It is unclear which players Kififn is referring to, but Ole Miss is already without standout wide receiver Elijah Moore and tight end Kenny Yeboah – both players have declared for the NFL Draft and opted out ahead of the regular season finale against LSU.
At 4-5, Ole Miss does not appear to have any intentions to opt-out of the Outback Bowl as a team but could struggle with depth against the 6-1 Hoosiers.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Lucas is a digital reporter for 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, and a high school play-by-play broadcaster. Lucas has been covering SEC football for Saturday Down South since 2018.
