Lane Kiffin And Ole Miss May Have A Headache On Their Hands After Landing Star QB Transfer

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Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels picked up a bit of good news on Thursday morning.

The Rebs picked up a commitment from former Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders, who was one of the top remaining players in the NCAA transfer portal.

Sanders dealt with injuries and the Cowboys struggled on the way to a 7-3 record. But the year prior, the Texas native was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Sanders threw for 2,839 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2021 while adding 668 yards and six scores on the ground.

Oklahoma State went 11-2 and finished at the Big 12 runner-up before topping Notre Dame, 37-35, in the Fiesta Bowl.

On the surface, picking up a commitment from a player with high end upside the quarterback position is a huge boon for Kiffin and Ole Miss. But is also comes with a ton of question marks as well.

Spencer Sanders Joins Crowded Ole Miss Quarterback Room

Kiffin and Rebs brought in USC transfer Jaxson Dart via the transfer portal prior to the 2022 season. Dart was brought in to compete with sophomore Luke Altmyer.

Ultimately, Dart won the job. But he was far from convincing for Ole Miss as the reason rolled on. Dart finished the year with 2,974 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interception and the Rebs went 8-5 after an 8-1 start.

Altmyer then transferred to Illinois following the season.

Looking to beef up the quarterback room yet again, Kiffin landed LSU transfer Walker Howard who entered the portal after just one season in Baton Rouge. He was a top-100 overall recruit in the 2022 high school class.

Most assumed Howard and Dart would battle it out for the starting job in 2023. But that’s where Sanders comes in. He comes to Oxford with just one year of eligibility remaining and it’s hard to imagine he would do so without some assurances.

While Howard could well be in line to start in 2024, what that means for Dart is now anyone’s guess. He could well enter the portal yet again following spring practice. But one thing is clear, Kiffin now has a situation on his hands that he has to sort out quickly.

Too much talent is usually a pretty good problem for coaches to have to figure out. But I can’t imagine the impending discussions will be too much fun for Kiffin.