LOOK: Lane Kiffin shares epic office sign after Ole Miss' big weekend
Lane Kiffin had quite a Saturday, as the Ole Miss rebels scooped up tight end Michael Trigg and quarterback Jaxson Dart, two highly-coveted USC transfers, out of the portal.
After picking up a new quarterback and a new tight end, Kiffin added to an already strong transfer class, which included the likes of Zach Evans, a TCU running back transfer that was once the No. 1 running back in his class. Kiffin shared a hilarious picture on Sunday, tweeting a photo of a sign on his office that reads, “please check back later, I’m gone portaling.”
The two USC stars entered the NCAA Transfer Portal recently, and Trigg made his announcement on Saturday afternoon. Dart, on the other hand, has not yet announced his decision; however, On3’s Gerry Hamilton confirmed a separate report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel that Dart is in fact committed to Ole Miss.
Suffice to say, Kiffin is fired up that his offense just gained commitments from two significant players.
Background on Michael Trigg, Jaxson Dart after committing to Ole Miss
Trigg, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound freshman, played in just four games this past season, totaling seven catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. He came to the Trojans as a four-star recruit and the No. 4 tight end according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Other than USC, he held offers from several big-time programs including Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.
The tight end is ranked as the No. 38 overall prospect in the portal, per On3’s transfer portal rankings. He is also the second-ranked tight end available.
Dart spent one year in Los Angeles, starting three games for the Trojans. He finished his true freshman season with 1,353 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Dart is the second USC quarterback to transfer, following Kedon Slovis, who left for Pitt. Ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in On3’s transfer rankings, Dart was down to Ole Miss and Oklahoma.
A four-star recruit, Dart chose the Trojans over offers from Iowa State, UCLA, Yale and others. He was the No. 45 overall prospect in the 2021 class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Dart earned several accolades while playing for Corner Canyon High School in Draper. He was named the 2020 Gatorade Player of the Year, Max Preps National Player of the Year and Sports Illustrated All-America first team. Corner Canyon claimed a 6A title his senior season as Dart broke the Utah state record with 67 passing touchdowns.
The 6-foot-3, 215 pound quarterback missed time this past season after tearing his meniscus on Sept. 18 against Washington State. Before suffering the injury, he had thrown for 391 yards and four touchdowns against the Cougars, both season highs. He returned against Arizona on Oct. 30 and stayed healthy the remainder of the season.
USC finished the season 4-8, missing out on a bowl game for the third time in the past four seasons. The Trojans fired coach Clay Helton following a Week 2 loss to Stanford. They later hired Oklahoma Sooners coach Lincoln Riley as his replacement at the conclusion of the season.