National Analysts Predict Lane Kiffin to Leave Ole Miss for SEC Rival Amid Rumor Mill

Kiffin is the hottest topic on the college football scene this fall, future with the Rebels in limbo.

Oct 18, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin reacts during the second half of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

As the Ole Miss Rebels await a decision from head coach Lane Kiffin, social media is swirling surrounding the program's shot-caller as the rumor mill heats up.

No. 5 Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 SEC) has emerged as a College Football Playoff contender under Kiffin's watch, but his future with the Rebels is in limbo as he remains non-committal to the administration.

“It’s really cool to see where our program is. Not just in (the Florida) matchup, but just in the SEC,” Kiffin said last Sunday. “I told our guys this week. I’ve said it for two weeks, ‘As you get older everybody always says the good ol’ days.’

"And I said, ‘Hey, guys, I think we’re in the good ol’ days right now.' So I think for our fans, for our players it’s like this utopia of what’s going on. So, enjoy it because runs don’t happen very often.”

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Fast forward to Friday, Nov. 21 and a formal meeting has been set with Kiffin and Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter as the Rebe;s look to find the "clarity" they have been searching for, according to On3 Sports.

With a decision coming sooner rather than later, national analysts have locked in predictions on where Kiffin will be coaching in 2026 with one SEC program emerging.

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.”

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

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.”

More Ole Miss News:

National Analyst Believes Miami Dolphins Should Hire Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin

Ole Miss Football Great Doubles Down on Lane Kiffin to Florida Gators 'Not Happening'

Tony Vitello Pokes Fun at Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin in Goodbye to Tennessee

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