After Lane Kiffin departed from Oxford last season for Baton Rouge, La., four Ole Miss players and several coaches left with him. On the other side, a few Tigers transferred to Ole Miss. The high number of personnel swaps between the teams in the past year will certainly play a factor in Saturday’s matchup.
Wide receiver Winston Watkins, edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, linebacker TJ Dottery and offensive lineman Devin Harper are all former Rebels who followed Kiffin to LSU. Running back JT Lindsey and offensive lineman Carius Curne left LSU in favor of Ole Miss.
Ten Rebel coaches left with Kiffin: offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., tight ends coach Joe Cox, running backs coach Kevin Smith, pass game specialist Dane Stevens, wide receivers coach George McDonald, analyst James Cregg, senior analyst Sawyer Jordan, linebackers coach Chris Kiffin, analyst Lou Spanos and strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage.
Additionally, LSU running back coach Frank Wilson is now with Ole Miss.
Since there is a significant amount of overlap between the two programs, they will be familiar with one another, but Golding does not overvalue this familiarity.
“I think it goes both (ways). Obviously, there’s a lot that you know about them on both sides. (They know) about us. We know about them,” Golding said in a press conference on Monday. “There’s a very big database of going against somebody for three and a half years every spring, every fall camp, all the scrimmages, so I think it’s really easy to overthink things as well and try to have a plan for everything they’ve ever done under the sun, which is really tough within one week for your players.”
As the lone returning starting wide receiver from 2025, Deuce Alexander has taken a leadership role this season. He is making sure the Rebels stay focused on the game and avoid the chatter about it.
“(I’m) telling all the guys to block out outside noise and just keep the main thing the main thing,” Alexander said in a press conference on Tuesday. “Just keep it all about us. Just let all the fans, the media, all of them — let them do the talking. The coaches, even if they want to do (talk), let them.”
For Alexander, the staff overlap will make a difference in preparation this week. Kiffin knows Ole Miss’ system well; he and the Tigers could pick up on plays and schemes. Ole Miss will have to adjust its game plan accordingly.
“(The staff overlap) changes a couple things because some of the staffers were here, some of the players were here, things like that,” Alexander said. “Some things have to change. Everything can’t be the same. We can’t go to the same game plan as last year because they’re going to be able to pick up on things.”
Alexander was teammates with Watkins, Umanmielen, Harper and Dottery last year. He spoke about Ole Miss’ preparation to play against them and the rest of the Tiger squad.
“We talk about (the former Rebels now at LSU) because we have to scout them, know how they play, the techniques, how they act on and off the field, how they respond to certain situations, but other than that, I don’t think it’s a topic,” Alexander said.
According to Alexander, LSU tried to convince him to enter the transfer portal, but he was focused on making sure Ole Miss was set up well for 2026. He also made it clear there is no animosity between him and the former Rebels.
“My goal is to retain everybody, but … the transfer portal’s going to happen,” Alexander said. “The guys that left, there’s no bad blood with them. … But at the end of the day, they’re on the other side of the ball. Business has to get taken care of. After (the game), we can be friends.”
Overall, this game will be tough. Kiffin and the Tigers are a solid football team. Ole Miss will need to be on its A-game.
“It’s going to be really challenging. Charlie (Weis Jr.) does a really good job,” Golding said. “Obviously, Lane (Kiffin) did a really good job on game day, as well.”
