Cayden Lee explains why Lane Kiffin is the right guy for the job at Ole Miss

Now going into his sixth season at Ole Miss, head coach Lane Kiffin has found plenty of success in Oxford. That’s drawn the attention of fans and athletes alike from around the country, wondering how far Kiffin can take the program.

One player whose attention Kiffin and Ole Miss caught was wide receiver Cayden Lee. He’d join the program as a high school recruit in the Class of 2023. Now, representing the program at SEC Media Days, Lee shared just what it is about Kiffin that makes him the man to lead Ole Miss.

“If you look at Ole Miss before he got here versus after he got here,” Cayden Lee said. “I feel like it’s a total change. I remember turning the TV on and looking at old clips of Ole Miss playing, and the stadium wasn’t packed. Now, we’re sold out almost every game. Being able to see the — I’ll use this word to make him happy — the type of aura he has, bringing the fans to the stadium and everything, is really big.”

Lane Kiffin first got to Ole Miss in 2020. It would be his fourth stop as a college head coach and his fifth stop overall as a head coach. That included a tenure where he would be fired after 20 games by the Oakland Raiders. He had previously left Tennessee after one season, been fired by USC, and found success at FAU. He had also had plenty of success as an offensive coordinator.

At the time, Ole Miss was reeling in the wake of NCAA sanctions that came down in 2019. That came after being accused of 15 Level I violations under coach Hugh Freeze. That included scholarship reductions, recruiting restrictions, and probation. For the four seasons prior to Kiffin’s arrival, Ole Miss failed to make a bowl.

Since then, Lane Kiffin has turned the program around in a way that certainly caught Cayden Lee’s attention. Kiffin has led the program to a 44-18 record over five seasons with three double-digit win seasons and three AP Top 25 finishes. That has caught the attention of fans and recruits alike, giving a base for Kiffin to continue to build from.

Now, Ole Miss and Kiffin are hoping to make their first College Football Playoff in 2025. That starts with a game against Georgia State on August 30th.

Lane Kiffin jabs Paul Finebaum over annually saying he’ll leave Ole Miss

Throughout his tenure at Ole Miss, rumors have circled that Lane Kiffin could leave Ole Miss. Many of those seem to come from Paul Finebaum, who Kiffin has playfully jabbed at over those rumors ahead of the 2025 season.

“What’s really good, though, is when, about week ten, and you always say, like, ‘Well, I think he’s taking this job’ and then like the players and all the fans are mad, so,” Kiffin said. “Can we not do that again this year?”