The Expert Predictions: LSU Football, Florida and Ole Miss Battling for Lane Kiffin

In a move that is set to change the landscape of college football, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is set to make a decision on his future with the Rebels, LSU Tigers, and Florida Gators in the mix for his services.

Kiffin has emerged as the hottest name on the coaching carousel this cycle with both LSU and Florida looking to lure him out of Oxford.

No. 5 Ole Miss is firmly in the College Football Playoff race with the program in the midst of a historic season, but Kiffin has remained noncommittal to the school as social media swirls.

“I’ve gotten the feeling that Ole Miss, at the end of this week, may start running out of a little bit of patience, being like, ‘Hey, what else can we do here? You know what I mean, what else? What else can we possibly do?'” ESPN's Pete Thamel said. “As with Lane Kiffin always, it’s not going to be boring.

“There’s going to be theater. There’s going to be drama. … This is the week where we should get some clues into what Lane’s intentions are.”

Ole Miss Rebels Football. — Nov 8, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin walks the sideline during the fourth quarter against The Citadel Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Now, as the three-team battle unfolds, multiple national analysts have weighed in on what Kiffin's next move will be. Will he ink a contract extension with Ole Miss or depart for another program?

The National Analysts' Picks: Lane Kiffin's Future

Joel Klatt's Prediction:

“Now, I don’t know if he can come back to Ole Miss. You can’t lead them on for this long. Now, there’s going to start to be animus. Like, ‘Why aren’t you signing an extension? What’s the problem?’ I think he’s going to Florida – I really do.

"I think he’s going to Florida and I think he’s going to be the next coach of the Gators, and I think that we’re going to have one of the biggest messes in college football history go down before the Playoff when Lane Kiffin steps away from a College Football Playoff team and goes to coach another team.”

Stephen A. Smith Weighs In:

"The brothers ain’t trying to come to Oxford, Mississippi for the most part, compared to Gainesville or Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Lets just call it what it is. You look at the job Lane Kiffin has done at Ole Miss, it’s phenomenal.

"I don’t have that type of confidence. But that man, Lane Kiffin at LSU, that man, Lane Kiffin at Florida, oh that’s a different beast right there. Lane Kiffin knows what he’s talking about. The man has done his job, go out there, try and win a national championship, and then get your ass to Baton Rouge or get your ass to Gainesville, Florida."

Paul Finebaum's Pick:

“I think it’s Florida. He’s always been a Florida fan,” Finebaum said on Get Up. “He grew up idolizing Steve Spurrier. I think it comes down to Florida or LSU. It seems like he has already left Ole Miss. You just don’t leave them hanging like he has.

"If you’re going to stay there, all you have to do is say I’ve just agreed to a new contract. So I think he’s trying to decide between LSU and Florida, and Florida seems like a slightly better choice.”

Colin Cowherd's Prediction:

“To me, stay at Ole Miss or go to the NFL,” Cowherd said. “I think Lane’s personality feels like if he gets into one of these massively-pressurized, high-expectation situations, he can be a little snarky. He can be on social media a little too much."

More LSU News:

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Five Players LSU Football Must Keep After Brian Kelly's Firing, Including DJ Pickett

ESPN Insider Labels Lane Kiffin 'Top Target' for LSU Football, Florida Gators

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