The bridge may still be burning in Oxford, yet Lane Kiffin is already recruiting for LSU.
The Tigers’ new coach immediately met with the school’s top 2026 recruit and the nation’s top prospect in defensive tackle Lamar Brown following his drawn-out and ugly exit from Ole Miss on Sunday.
WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge released video of Kiffin standing alongside Brown, seemingly outside his new office, with the coach extending his arms triumphantly as fans chanted “LSU.”
Kiffin, 50, flashed a wide smile while he pointed out some things to Brown, and the outlet reported that Brown’s mother and Lane’s son, Knox, also attended the meeting.
Brown, a Baton Rouge native who is ranked No. 1 by ESPN, posted a photo of the two Sunday night at 7:16 p.m. ET with the caption: “Welcome Home @Lane_Kiffin #GeauxTigers.”
Recruiting is the lifeline for any college football coach, so it’s not surprising that Kiffin’s hectic multi-state day would include him showing his new prized recruit some attention.
Brown committed to the previous regime led by Brian Kelly in July, per ESPN, but it seems that he’s not letting the change in leadership affect where he plans to play ball next season.
LSU has the No. 15 recruiting class, per 247, although that could improve with Kiffin running the show.
For Kiffin, it’s full steam ahead after his controversial exit from Ole Miss.
Kiffin opted to leave one SEC program for another, making his decision Sunday after attempting to negotiate with the school to allow him to coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoff.
Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter rebuffed that request, leading to Kiffin bashing his ex-boss on his way out.
“After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,” Kiffin wrote in a statement announcing his decision. “I was hoping to complete a historic six season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything into a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern.
“My request to do so was denied by Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance. Unfortunately, that means Friday’s Egg Bowl was my last game coaching the Rebels.”
Ole Miss fans then gave Kiffin a villain’s greeting when he boarded a plane to Louisiana, although he received a hero’s welcome once he landed in Baton Rouge.
He now will try to replicate the success he had in Oxford, where he went 55-19 over six seasons and built a team that will have a chance to win a national title this season.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
