For years, quarterback Eli Manning’s last Ole Miss team—the 10–3 2003 squad—was the barometer for post-integration success in Oxford, Miss. That's not an exaggeration—until 2015, no Rebels team post-1971 finished higher than that one (No. 13) in the final AP Poll.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has changed that narrative. In six seasons with the school, Kiffin has finished years ranked No. 9 (2023) and No. 11 (twice, in 2021 and 2024). If he leaves the Rebels as speculated for Florida or LSU, it would be a massive loss.
