Lane Kiffin vs Ole Miss intensifies after Sugar Bowl; new LSU coach busy wooing his first target

Ole Miss players had a lot to say about Lane Kiffin after their Sugar Bowl win vs Georgia on Thursday night

Updated on: Jan 3, 2026, 02:22:21 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Ole Miss players had a lot to say about Lane Kiffin after their Sugar Bowl win vs Georgia on Thursday night. The former Rebels coach, who joined LSU in hopes of making a new championship team, earned at least a $500,000 bonus from his new employer after the game because of incentive clauses in his previous deal.

Lane Kiffin speaks at a press conference as he is introduced as the new head football coach of the LSU Tigers (Getty Images via AFP)

However, that was not it. It was Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris's comments that made the headlines on Friday.

We took it personally

“I know some people were down at first and came here because of Kiffin,” the DT said after Rebels’ dramatic 39–34 win. “But after realizing how he was and when Coach [Pete] Golding came in, they saw a difference in how a real head coach is supposed to be, and you’ve seen how we’ve come together.”

Harris added that Kiffin’s move to LSU ahead of the CFP was ‘like a slap in the face and then a backhand. We took that personally’.

Zxavian Harris blamed Kiffin for how the departure was handled.

“That’s what Kiffin tried to do. He tried to be a damn announcer … trying to be a troll. We were going to troll him. We got something for him. He was just trying to steal our shine. That’s all he tried to do. That’s all he’s been trying to do, is steal our shine.”

Lane Kiffin wooing top QB

Meanwhile, Kiffin is keeping himself busy. ESPN reported on Friday that former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby is set to make visits to LSU and Texas Tech.

Sorsby is ranked as ESPN's best available player in the transfer portal. There are more than 4,000 players available in the portal, according to the report.

Sorsby threw for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns with five interceptions in 12 games as the Bearcats went 7-5. He also ran for 580 yards and nine scores.

In three full Division I seasons, Sorsby has passed for 7,200 yards and 60 touchdowns. He was at Cincinnati for two seasons after playing in 2023 at Indiana. He also had three completions during one game at Indiana in 2022.

(With inputs from Reuters)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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