OXFORD, Miss. — After another 10-win season and a Gator Bowl rout of Duke, Ole Miss enters 2025 with a familiar question.
Can the Rebels finally reach the College Football Playoff under Lane Kiffin, or will they remain on the outside looking in?
Kiffin, entering his sixth season in Oxford, has built a program that’s consistently among the SEC’s best.
“We’ve built a foundation here,” Kiffin said. “The next step is obvious. Our fans know it, our players know it. We’re not just here to fill the schedule anymore.”
Despite back-to-back bowl wins and three straight 10-win campaigns, a playoff berth has remained elusive.
The 2025 season brings a revamped roster. Quarterback Jaxson Dart and several top receivers are gone, leaving sophomore Austin Simmons as the new starter.
Simmons, a 6-foot-4 dual-threat, takes over an offense that will lean on returning receiver Cayden Lee and tight end Dae’Quan Wright.
On defense, linebacker Suntarine Perkins and several newcomers are expected to play key roles.
Kiffin is confident Simmons is ready.
“Austin’s ready,” Kiffin has said. “He’s been in the room, he’s got the arm, he’s got the intangibles. He’s not trying to be Jaxson Dart. He’s trying to be Austin Simmons.”
Recruiting and the transfer portal continue to shape Ole Miss’s approach. The Rebels’ 2025 recruiting class ranks as high as No. 15 nationally, according to 247Sports, and includes several defensive backs and linemen.
“We’ve got a lot of new faces,” Simmons said. “But we’re hungry. We know what’s at stake.”
The schedule offers opportunities and challenges. Ole Miss will play eight home games, including matchups with LSU and Texas, and just three true road games outside Mississippi. A mid-season trip to Georgia is expected to be a key test.
The new 12-team College Football Playoff format could benefit the Rebels. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Ole Miss about a 30 percent chance to reach the playoff, behind only perennial SEC favorites.
Experts and even the biggest living legend remain cautious about the Rebels’ championship ceiling.
“Lane’s got ‘em close,” former Ole Miss quarterback Archie Manning said at the Manning Passing Academy. “Closer than they’ve been in a long time. Now it’s about finishing.”
Since Kiffin’s arrival, the Rebels have made steady progress. They are 2-2 in bowl games under his watch, including recent wins in the Gator and Peach bowls.
“If you’re not getting better, you’re getting left behind,” Kiffin has said. “We’re not interested in standing still.”
This year’s team must replace key contributors while avoiding the late-season stumbles that have hurt past playoff bids.
“There’s no margin for error,” Perkins said. “We know what’s on the line.”
The expanded playoff increases the stakes. More teams will have access, but the SEC remains crowded with contenders. As the Rebels prepare for the new season, the program’s trajectory is clear. The ingredients are present with promising talent, a favorable schedule, and an experienced coach.
Whether that’s enough to move from good to great, and into the playoff conversation, remains to be seen.
