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Lane Kiffin: Collaboration with Realtree made Ole Miss 'significant' in recruiting world

11by: Jake Thompson4 hours agoJakeThompsonOn3
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Ole Miss Realtree helmet for game against South Carolina on November 1. Mandatory credit: Ole Miss athletics

When Lane Kiffin took the job as the newest Ole Miss football head coach nearly six years ago it was not a major blue blood program that was expected to win championships each season, yet.

The narrative has changed in Oxford and Kiffin has the Rebels knocking on the door of its first College Football Playoffs appearance in program history. Just get through November, first.

What has helped with that is the success in the transfer portal by Kiffin and his staff as well as the high school recruiting ranks. The personality of the sixth-year head coach helped make Ole Miss attractive to recruits, but more needed to be done.

Enter Realtree and the Jordan family.

On Saturday No. 7 Ole Miss will debut its third helmet design in collaboration with Realtree when it takes on South Carolina.

“That’s been a great relationship,” Kiffin said on Monday. “I don’t remember the exact date. Just being around the Jordans and getting to know them and kind of with them coming up with this idea. When I got here I just felt Ole Miss, right or wrong, I just felt needed to be significant in recruits eyes, nationally to people.

“Kind of have the Oregon factor. Years ago, when we were in the Pac-10 at the time, Oregon became really unique with uniform, style of offense, tempo and kids just wanted to go play in it. Realtree, and having been part of that, is something really unique. They’ve been great to our players.”

The first helmet collaboration debuted in 2022 against Kentucky in a 22-19 victory. In 2023, the No. 9-ranked Rebels, at the time, survived for a 38-35 win over the Aggies wearing the same helmets.

Last season Ole Miss debuted a new Realtree design, featuring a space look in its 26-14 win over Oklahoma in Oxford. The Rebels are 3-0 when wearing the Realtree helmets.

The Rebels and Gamecocks kickoff at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN on Saturday.

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