The truth of what happened three months behind the scenes of the Lane Kiffin coaching circus was never going to stay hidden.
Some of that has already been revealed, but as time passes and more players like Zxavian Harris speak to reporters, the more that’ll come out.
Harris already made his feelings known about Kiffin after Ole Miss defeated Georgia in the Fiesta Bowl.
“I know some people were down at first and came here because of Kiffin,” the senior defensive tackle said back in January. “But after realizing how he was and when Coach Golding came in, they saw a difference in how a real head coach is supposed to be, and you’ve seen how we’ve come together.”
The “real head coach” part had to of stung, but considering the rumors about Kiffin trying to get into the broadcast booth for the Fiesta Bowl, it was warranted.
“That’s what Kiffin tried to do. He tried to be a damn announcer … trying to be a troll. We were going to troll him. We got something for him,” Harris said. “He was just trying to steal our shine. That’s all he tried to do. That’s all he’s been trying to do, is steal our shine.”
This week, Harris is at the NFL Scouting Combine where he had a media availability on Wednesday. Sure enough, he was asked about Kiffin’s departure to LSU and he revealed a little bit more of the truth.
“When Kiffin was there, he was telling us like almost every day, don’t believe the rumors,” Harris said. “Like he’s not going to leave, to keep us focused. But by the time it came, everybody was starstruck. He told us not to believe the rumors. We should have believed it, and he just left out of nowhere.
“I was pretty upset. A lot of people, like younger cats, they were there for Kiffin and stuff. And since Kiffin left, they were just heartbroken. But we got better towards the season ended.”
Ole Miss DT Zxavian Harris on HC Lane Kiffin leaving for LSU and the messy process @AtoZSportsNFL pic.twitter.com/4ZHxe75fMo
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) February 25, 2026
Harris also called Kiffin what Kiffin is: a troll.
“The week before we played, they were telling me that he was trying to be on the top booth, trying to, like, announce it, and knowing him, me knowing Kiffin since my freshman year, like, he’s just trying to troll, for real,” Harris said at the combine. “That’s how him and the internet works.”
Harris also added some praise for Pete Golding, who was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach the day Kiffin left for LSU.
“The beginning of it, like (Golding) kept it real with us, straightforward and him saying that to us really made us come together,” Harris said. “It’s gonna blast off. I know it’s gonna be way better than what Kiffin had did to it.”
At some point, all of this was going to spill out. You can only keep a lid on a three‑month saga for so long before the people who lived it start telling their side, and Harris isn’t exactly tiptoeing around how he felt.
As more players move on to the NFL or into the next stage of their careers, more of that picture is going to come into focus. And it’s hard not to look forward to that.
