Lane Kiffin Says Recruits Don't Care How He Left Ole Miss

While the Ole Miss Rebels believe the separation from Lane Kiffin is a talking point, for LSU, it doesn't even come up

LSU president Wade Rousse, left, LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin, and LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry greet each other at the South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The LSU Tigers are used to being the storyline of college football, but usually it stems from the program's dominance on the football field, rather than storylines surrounding the changing of the coaching staff.

For head coach Lane Kiffin, he is no stranger to finding his name in the headlines of stories, and he has become known as one of the most polarizing figures in the sport. Just at the end of last season, his decision whether to stay with the Ole Miss Rebels or leave for the LSU Tigers dominated sports news.

While the Rebels may use a pitch of loyalty when recruiting against the Tigers, Kiffin and his staff are stuck with a different approach, focusing on their own program, as the story of the past season doesn't even come up.

Why LSU is the Focus, Not the Past

Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin talks with LSU Tigers cornerback Mansoor Delane (4) during the second quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I don't deal with it at all. I don't ever get asked that by recruits or parents. They come and see LSU and what we're doing, and the history and power of LSU. That doesn't even come up." Kiffin said during SEC media days.

The Tigers have their eyes set on bringing back the program they used to be, including being one of the most dominant teams in recent memory. Under the new reign of Kiffin, which will feature one of the best offenses in the country, combined with the historic success of the defense in Baton Rouge, it seems like a match made in heaven.

Building the program back up, though, begins on the recruiting trail, where the Tigers currently sit with a top-10 class. The group's headliners are talent from within the state, as it is the flagship university of one of the country's talent hotbeds.

While the conversation has seemed to focus on Kiffin and his exit with the Rebels, including a few programs willing to say why they shouldn't play in Baton Rouge because of it, within the walls of the Tigers, the conversation couldn't be any more different.

The Tigers are a storied program, and while playing under Kiffin is enticing for recruits, as he has found success every stop along the way, the real allure to landing talent is the history within the program.

The Tigers and Kiffin are focused on finding success now, and currently, they are, despite what is being said about them elsewhere.

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