Lane Kiffin Discusses Game Prep, Recruiting Strategy Prior to Texas Bowl
HOUSTON -- The Ole Miss Rebels will face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Wednesday night, and Lane Kiffin is looking to establish some positive momentum heading into his team's offseason.
The Rebels dropped their final three games of the regular season, but they have no opt outs heading into their bowl game against the Red Raiders despite having multiple players in the transfer portal, including backup quarterback Luke Altmyer.
Jaxson Dart and Altmyer reportedly had a conversation as quarterbacks, and Altmyer decided to stick it out with the Rebels in their bowl game despite his plans to transfer.
"They've had a really good relationship," Kiffin said. "I know Luke had thought about not playing and decided to play. It's just a strange world that we're in. It is what it is. It's a good time to be a player, and it's a good time to be a superpower."
Bowl games in modern times are often full of opt outs, but the Rebels are entering this game with their roster intact before the offseason.
"I think [the players have] done a really good job," Kiffin said. "That last game was disappointing and how we finished the season in general. The season was like some games where we started really well but didn't finish strong. I think the players have done a good job.
"I think it says a lot about these players. It's very easy to opt out or not to play because the season didn't end great. I think that's really neat of these guys."
One storyline for the Rebels on Wednesday is the performance of running back Zach Evans, a Houston native.
"Zach is really excited and fully healthy," Kiffin said. "He's played really well when he's healthy, so this should be a good opportunity for him."
Outside of bowl game preparation, the Rebels are also working on the recruiting trail. Ole Miss brought in 12 high school players during the early signing period and have also added some transfer portal pieces since that window.
"We have a plan," Kiffin said. "You've already seen significant portal players since then. We didn't lose as much as some people did. You've got to know what you have versus just going out and signing 30 guys or something."
Ole Miss and Texas Tech are scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday night, and the game will be televised on ESPN.
You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.
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