Update: Ole Miss says Lane Kiffin misspoke on his radio show when he said the NCAA had denied Otis Reese’s appeal.

From David Johnson of Ole Miss Spirit:

Ole Miss sports information director Kyle Campbell contacted the Ole Miss Spirit shortly after we reported Kiffin’s revelation to clarify that the head coach was misinformed.

“The waiver process with Otis is ongoing,” Campbell said. “Coach (Kiffin) was under the impression the process is over when he said that tonight. It is not.”

Original post:

Ole Miss got disappointing news on Thursday. The NCAA has denied Georgia transfer Otis Reese’s appeal for immediate eligibility.

“Unfortunately, we heard today he was denied by the NCAA,” Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said on Thursday’s Reb Talk, per David Johnson of 247Sports.

Johnson wrote that a source confirmed the news to Ole Miss Spirit.

It is frustrating news for Reese and the Rebels after the SEC decided to grant eligibility for intraconference transfers due to the special circumstances of the 2020 season.

Reese announced his commitment to Ole Miss in January. Throughout the offseason, he used social media to bring attention to his campaign for eligibility. In September, he ramped up that campaign posting a note with explosive allegations against Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs program and the UGA campus environmentment.

Reese appeared in 25 games during two seasons at UGA, including all 14 games of the 2019 season. In 2019, he recorded three total tackles, with two coming in the Arkansas State game.

Coming out of Lee County High School, the Leesburg, Georgia native was rated 4-stars, the No. 5 outside linebacker, No. 12 Peach State product and No. 87 prospect overall nationally in the 2018 class on the 247Sports Composite. Reese had 15 scholarship offers including Michigan, where Partridge was his primary recruiter.