Paul Finebaum claims college football head coach will be ‘ultimate winner’ after No. 1 transfer portal class

SEC Nation host Paul Finebaum stares down a live alligator on the set during the filming of the SEC Nation college football show, at the Plaza of the Americas on the University of Florida campus, in Gainesville, Florida. | Brad McClenny/The Gainesville Sun via Imagn Content Services, LLC

In 2025, Lane Kiffin guided Ole Miss to the most successful season in program history, with the Rebels finishing 13–2 overall (7–1 SEC), posting their first 11-win regular season and earning a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

The year featured multiple signature wins, including a road victory over Oklahoma, a home win against Florida, and an early-season win over LSU, as Ole Miss finished ranked No. 6 nationally, the highest final ranking in program history.

However, soon after the Rebels’ Egg Bowl win over Mississippi State on Nov. 28, 2025, Kiffin agreed to become LSU’s head coach following a drawn-out and public recruitment, signing a seven-year, $91 million deal to lead the Tigers into their next chapter.

Speaking on “McElroy & Cubelic in the Morning” on Jan. 26, 2026, SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum acknowledged how messy the exit appeared but suggested Kiffin may ultimately have the last laugh.

“He gambled,” Finebaum said. “And I think, in the end, Lane Kiffin will be the ultimate winner, in spite of all the mud, in spite of all the egg, in spite of all the criticisms.”

Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Kiffin’s résumé is a mix of early-career rapid ascents, NFL experience, and program turnarounds.

After six seasons on Pete Carroll’s USC staff, he became the NFL’s youngest head coach with the Oakland Raiders (2007–08) before returning to college as Tennessee’s head coach in 2009, then leading USC from 2010 to 2013.

Kiffin then spent 2014–16 as Alabama’s offensive coordinator, calling plays for the 2015 national champion Crimson Tide, before rebuilding Florida Atlantic (2017–19) into a Conference USA power with two league titles and transforming Ole Miss (2020–25) into an SEC contender and College Football Playoff team.

Across those stops, he consistently produced high-scoring offenses, developed NFL prospects, and used recruiting and the transfer portal to accelerate program turnarounds.

Ken Ruinard / staff, The Greenville News via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Since the LSU hire, Kiffin has again aggressively used the transfer portal and recruiting visits to retool the Tigers’ roster.

Major portal additions include top transfer-ranked quarterback Sam Leavitt, elite edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, and highly regarded offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, moves that have LSU’s 2026 transfer class ranked No. 1 nationally, according to 247Sports.

On the high school side, Kiffin’s staff has added 17 recruits, including two five-stars, nine four-stars, and six three-stars, giving LSU the No. 11 overall recruiting class.

If Kiffin translates that influx of talent into on-field results, Finebaum’s prediction that he will “have the last laugh” will be validated. If not, the move will be viewed as a costly gamble that sacrificed Ole Miss continuity and complicated Kiffin’s legacy.

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