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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Lane Kiffin Late Signing Day Press Conference
2/5/2020 | Football
Rebel Head Coach Addresses Media During February Signing Period
Ole Miss football head coach Lane Kiffin met with the media Wednesday afternoon to provide an update on the progress of the 2020 recruiting class. A transcript can be found below.
Opening statement…
"When we were here (in December), we talked about it being halfway through with two different signing days. Today is still not over. The signing period isn't for an hour or so. There are still some things that can happen down the road for months to come. Kind of like I mentioned before, this is a different era of college football. It's more like the NFL with how you manage your roster. We left ourselves some room for some kids that are still out there. Some grad transfers, some regular transfers, and also, we can save some for next year too. I think going through this process is different than before. Becoming a head coach then and not having an early period, so nobody could get signed up. It does make it a little bit more challenging for first year staffs to come in and turn kids. We lost some kids, obviously, like everyone does, but going back over the kids, a lot of that was relationship based. Losing out to people that had longer relationships with the kids. We've already started on next year's class. We have a whole year to do that. I know that everybody gets up here and says this is the best class ever, every coach says that. This is a good class with some really good players. We'll sign better classes every year that we're here. Deeper classes that fill all of the areas of need. Just didn't want to reach this year."
On the holes he is still looking to fill…
"I think the players are good, the class is just not very deep. You have a lot of teams around the country that signed 25-27 players, so from that standpoint, obviously it's not really the same. There are some really good players in it. I don't think we're really looking for certain positions. At this point, it's more the best players. I think that we'll go find the best players available whether it's kids that are still left, grad transfers, normal transfers, or save them. That's more of the NFL model where you manage your roster. I'm not going to get into positions too much other than we'd like to sign a really quality running back."
On having scholarships left…
"I think, again, a lot of people are going to be over 85 today. We're not, but a lot of people are. Again, it's different. These kids leave so often. We had maybe five go into the portal before we got here. They came back, but normally, they don't come back. I think people plan on losing kids after spring, so that's why we save some too. Because you'll see a lot of kids leave after spring because it's not going exactly the way they want. Some of those kids can play immediately and some of those kids sit. I think we have three in that way and two transfers and a grad transfer."
On impressions of the quarterback room heading into spring practice…
"With baseball that's going to be tough to evaluate that with John (Rhys Plumlee) playing baseball, and we want that to be his first priority and he'll go with that, whatever time he has left he'll come to us. I'm excited to work with a lot of really young players at that position and two players that played a lot last year."
On Otis Reese…
"There's always a scenario where they can (be eligible right away). You just have to go through a process like some of these kids nowadays who are playing across the country. He will be going through that process to try and get eligible here immediately."
On hiring additional personnel in the recruiting department…
"Our main priority was getting our on-field coaches. With recruiting, we'll restructure that as we move forward here and hire some different people in a bunch of different roles because that's very critical in college football, especially in the SEC. It's recruiting all year around as you guys know, so we've got to nail that as much as anything."
On Kenny Yeboah…
"That was really big. Like we talked about, it's like managing an NFL roster now with all the different ways that players can come transfer in. Kenny was obviously a need. He's a very talented kid. He actually thought about going out early to the draft before he decided to transfer."
On current defensive line situation…
"We've got some work to do there. We didn't add a lot there and we lost a lot of good players from last year. Whenever you come into a new system, you have to be careful of just adding players in spots that they don't really know. We don't know our own roster. We haven't worked with these kids and it's a different scheme. What usually happens is after spring you see guys change positions, looking at different roles, and then work our systems around the players that we have instead of making the players work the system."
On defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin…
"We went through a really extensive process there, talking to multiple people at multiple universities, very high up. Also talking with former players, former head coaches. They raved about D.J.—everyone. In our short time here, I can see why. He's done a great job in recruiting, great job around the players, assistant coaches. Tireless worker. He's always in here. Chris (Partridge) and him will do it together. We'll figure out the play calling and stuff down the road. That was an easy transition, an easy move because they had been around each other at Michigan."
On having Co-Defensive Coordinators…
"I think as we go we will figure out the play calling. People do it a bunch of different ways around the country. Some people on offense have them calling different areas of the game. We'll figure that out as we go. We know we have two really good coaches, and both are really good recruiters. I think they've both been national recruiters of the year before as well. And they've both worked together so they know the system."
On bringing in Demon Clowney…
"Again when you bring coaches together this late into things, sometimes they know players. Partridge was familiar with him from recruiting him before. I know we got on him late. He came in and visited, and I think turnaround in 24-48 hours to get back to school. He's a good player. Extremely talented and we're happy to have him."
On the offense and who's play calling it will be…
"I usually answer that after the game on Saturday. If (Jeff) Lebby does really well, I'll take credit for the plays. It was exciting to get him. I'm familiar with him. He brought in Kendal Briles our first year at FAU and set all kinds of records in the history of the conference. Lebby's done that everywhere he's been. He has a great track record, especially the last couple years he's been at UCF. We'll be working together. I would anticipate him being the primary play caller, but we've done this before as a head coach. In 3 years at FAU, we had two different coordinators with Kendal and Charlie Weis Jr. We'll do the whole thing together and just help each other on gameday."
On the players in this class immediately making an impact…
"I don't know that, and I know that sounds bad, but we only know so much about our current roster. I mean you can watch tape all you want, but until you get your hands on them and work with them in practice and see what they can do in our systems versus the two very different systems that were in place here. I think it's too early to project that stuff. I'm not sure which guys will play and what we have. We don't ever put limitations on kids. We don't ever say you're coming here to redshirt. We push all of our kids to play right."
On Kentrel Bullock and Henry Parrish at the running back position...
"I think that's a good problem to have with these guys coming in, four running backs within 12 months of each other. We play really fast and we've got high play counts. You can never have enough running backs. We're excited to have these guys in two true freshmen. I've said it before that Coach Luke and his staff did a really good job recruiting these last couple of years, especially in that last class. You have a true freshman starting tackle, starting quarterback, and starting running backs. They did a really good job."
On John Rhys Plumlee's spring availability...
"Yeah, I talked to (the baseball staff) to see how it goes. They're all doing baseball right now and we'll see if they have a significant role. They'll stay in there and if they're not then they'll probably come back and get more football. I found out where the baseball stadium was yesterday because I was driving in the car and saw Ealy walking on the side of the road by himself and asked him where he was going. I picked him up and he said, 'The baseball stadium.' I kept taking wrong turns and asking where the stadium is. It's a beautiful looking stadium."
On the relationships built with the upcoming class...
"It's hard to come in with this Early Signing Period when already 75 percent of the kids are gone. We didn't want to reach like I said. We'll sign deeper and better classes every year that we're here and have more time to go and recruit things guys with the staff. We've already been around the schools, you can't talk to them, but we've seen the juniors and seen their coaches and things like that. We've already had several of the top recruits on campus some point over the last three weekends. It goes dead here with the new rule at the end of February. I think March 1 things go live again. We have a lot of work to do."
Opening statement…
"When we were here (in December), we talked about it being halfway through with two different signing days. Today is still not over. The signing period isn't for an hour or so. There are still some things that can happen down the road for months to come. Kind of like I mentioned before, this is a different era of college football. It's more like the NFL with how you manage your roster. We left ourselves some room for some kids that are still out there. Some grad transfers, some regular transfers, and also, we can save some for next year too. I think going through this process is different than before. Becoming a head coach then and not having an early period, so nobody could get signed up. It does make it a little bit more challenging for first year staffs to come in and turn kids. We lost some kids, obviously, like everyone does, but going back over the kids, a lot of that was relationship based. Losing out to people that had longer relationships with the kids. We've already started on next year's class. We have a whole year to do that. I know that everybody gets up here and says this is the best class ever, every coach says that. This is a good class with some really good players. We'll sign better classes every year that we're here. Deeper classes that fill all of the areas of need. Just didn't want to reach this year."
On the holes he is still looking to fill…
"I think the players are good, the class is just not very deep. You have a lot of teams around the country that signed 25-27 players, so from that standpoint, obviously it's not really the same. There are some really good players in it. I don't think we're really looking for certain positions. At this point, it's more the best players. I think that we'll go find the best players available whether it's kids that are still left, grad transfers, normal transfers, or save them. That's more of the NFL model where you manage your roster. I'm not going to get into positions too much other than we'd like to sign a really quality running back."
On having scholarships left…
"I think, again, a lot of people are going to be over 85 today. We're not, but a lot of people are. Again, it's different. These kids leave so often. We had maybe five go into the portal before we got here. They came back, but normally, they don't come back. I think people plan on losing kids after spring, so that's why we save some too. Because you'll see a lot of kids leave after spring because it's not going exactly the way they want. Some of those kids can play immediately and some of those kids sit. I think we have three in that way and two transfers and a grad transfer."
On impressions of the quarterback room heading into spring practice…
"With baseball that's going to be tough to evaluate that with John (Rhys Plumlee) playing baseball, and we want that to be his first priority and he'll go with that, whatever time he has left he'll come to us. I'm excited to work with a lot of really young players at that position and two players that played a lot last year."
On Otis Reese…
"There's always a scenario where they can (be eligible right away). You just have to go through a process like some of these kids nowadays who are playing across the country. He will be going through that process to try and get eligible here immediately."
On hiring additional personnel in the recruiting department…
"Our main priority was getting our on-field coaches. With recruiting, we'll restructure that as we move forward here and hire some different people in a bunch of different roles because that's very critical in college football, especially in the SEC. It's recruiting all year around as you guys know, so we've got to nail that as much as anything."
On Kenny Yeboah…
"That was really big. Like we talked about, it's like managing an NFL roster now with all the different ways that players can come transfer in. Kenny was obviously a need. He's a very talented kid. He actually thought about going out early to the draft before he decided to transfer."
On current defensive line situation…
"We've got some work to do there. We didn't add a lot there and we lost a lot of good players from last year. Whenever you come into a new system, you have to be careful of just adding players in spots that they don't really know. We don't know our own roster. We haven't worked with these kids and it's a different scheme. What usually happens is after spring you see guys change positions, looking at different roles, and then work our systems around the players that we have instead of making the players work the system."
On defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin…
"We went through a really extensive process there, talking to multiple people at multiple universities, very high up. Also talking with former players, former head coaches. They raved about D.J.—everyone. In our short time here, I can see why. He's done a great job in recruiting, great job around the players, assistant coaches. Tireless worker. He's always in here. Chris (Partridge) and him will do it together. We'll figure out the play calling and stuff down the road. That was an easy transition, an easy move because they had been around each other at Michigan."
On having Co-Defensive Coordinators…
"I think as we go we will figure out the play calling. People do it a bunch of different ways around the country. Some people on offense have them calling different areas of the game. We'll figure that out as we go. We know we have two really good coaches, and both are really good recruiters. I think they've both been national recruiters of the year before as well. And they've both worked together so they know the system."
On bringing in Demon Clowney…
"Again when you bring coaches together this late into things, sometimes they know players. Partridge was familiar with him from recruiting him before. I know we got on him late. He came in and visited, and I think turnaround in 24-48 hours to get back to school. He's a good player. Extremely talented and we're happy to have him."
On the offense and who's play calling it will be…
"I usually answer that after the game on Saturday. If (Jeff) Lebby does really well, I'll take credit for the plays. It was exciting to get him. I'm familiar with him. He brought in Kendal Briles our first year at FAU and set all kinds of records in the history of the conference. Lebby's done that everywhere he's been. He has a great track record, especially the last couple years he's been at UCF. We'll be working together. I would anticipate him being the primary play caller, but we've done this before as a head coach. In 3 years at FAU, we had two different coordinators with Kendal and Charlie Weis Jr. We'll do the whole thing together and just help each other on gameday."
On the players in this class immediately making an impact…
"I don't know that, and I know that sounds bad, but we only know so much about our current roster. I mean you can watch tape all you want, but until you get your hands on them and work with them in practice and see what they can do in our systems versus the two very different systems that were in place here. I think it's too early to project that stuff. I'm not sure which guys will play and what we have. We don't ever put limitations on kids. We don't ever say you're coming here to redshirt. We push all of our kids to play right."
On Kentrel Bullock and Henry Parrish at the running back position...
"I think that's a good problem to have with these guys coming in, four running backs within 12 months of each other. We play really fast and we've got high play counts. You can never have enough running backs. We're excited to have these guys in two true freshmen. I've said it before that Coach Luke and his staff did a really good job recruiting these last couple of years, especially in that last class. You have a true freshman starting tackle, starting quarterback, and starting running backs. They did a really good job."
On John Rhys Plumlee's spring availability...
"Yeah, I talked to (the baseball staff) to see how it goes. They're all doing baseball right now and we'll see if they have a significant role. They'll stay in there and if they're not then they'll probably come back and get more football. I found out where the baseball stadium was yesterday because I was driving in the car and saw Ealy walking on the side of the road by himself and asked him where he was going. I picked him up and he said, 'The baseball stadium.' I kept taking wrong turns and asking where the stadium is. It's a beautiful looking stadium."
On the relationships built with the upcoming class...
"It's hard to come in with this Early Signing Period when already 75 percent of the kids are gone. We didn't want to reach like I said. We'll sign deeper and better classes every year that we're here and have more time to go and recruit things guys with the staff. We've already been around the schools, you can't talk to them, but we've seen the juniors and seen their coaches and things like that. We've already had several of the top recruits on campus some point over the last three weekends. It goes dead here with the new rule at the end of February. I think March 1 things go live again. We have a lot of work to do."
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
DE
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
TE
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