Ole Miss Football

The only quarterback selected in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL draft on Thursday was Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett, whom the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted with the No. 20 pick. That said, let's take a look at where North Carolina's Sam Howell and Ole Miss' Matt Corral could end up on Day 2. 

Peter Schrager of Fox Sports reported before the draft began that the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions were "most often linked as potential quarterback teams" in Round 1. 

That said, those teams could be looking for a quarterback in the second round. In terms of specifics, the Lions could select Corral with the No. 46 overall pick, and the Saints could select Howell with the 49th overall pick.

The Lions aren't necessarily confident that Jared Goff can be their quarterback of the future, so it would not be surprising if the franchise selected a quarterback in Round 2. 

Detroit acquired Goff in the deal that sent Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, and he didn't show much improvement from his inconsistent days out west. The 27-year-old completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,245 yards and 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions in 14 games. 

That said, Corral could be an intriguing option for the Lions. The 23-year-old was impressive in his fourth season at Ole Miss, which was his second under head coach Lane Kiffin. He completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,349 yards and 20 touchdowns against five interceptions, in addition to rushing for 614 yards and 11 scores. 

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. (h/t Sports Illustrated) noted in March that he didn't see Goff being Detroit's future and projected the Lions to select Corral in the draft. He added that the Rebels quarterback "throws a ball with some zip" and "is extremely tough," but mentioned a concern being that college coaches didn't ask him to make a lot of reads, which would be an adjustment for him at the NFL level.

Even if the Lions were to select Corral, he would likely spend at least one year learning and developing under Goff. He is nowhere near ready to be a starter in the NFL and would benefit from a year on the sidelines.

Moving on to Howell, he would be a good fit for a New Orleans team looking for a quarterback for the future following Drew Brees' retirement after the 2020 season. 

The Saints relied on Jameis Winston for seven games in 2021 until he suffered a torn ACL. They then tried Ian Book, Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill under center, but none thrived for the franchise. 

Winston is back for the 2022 season and will likely start regardless if the team drafts a quarterback. However, it's unclear if the Saints view him as their long-term quarterback. 

Howell was viewed as one of the better passers in this year's draft, but his 2021 performance caused some concern. He completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,056 yards and 24 touchdowns against nine interceptions, all of which are down from his 2020 performance. 

That said, Howell has tremendous upside and might be worth taking a chance on. 

B/R's NFL Scouting Department notes that Howell has a "good build," is a tough runner, has good arm strength and above-average accuracy. Those traits would help him fit in well in New Orleans. 

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin isn't pulling punches when it comes to the NCAA's NIL rules.

He told reporters Tuesday that he believes allowing college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness rights will ultimately lead to those players going to schools that can offer them the opportunity to make the most money, equating it to NFL free agency.

"In free agency in the NFL, players usually go to the most money," he said. "Every once in a while, they don't because they already have a bunch of money. Well, these kids are 17 and 18 years old. They're going to go where they're paid the most. I'm not complaining, it just is what it is."

Kiffin added that he worries about the college game becoming even more stratified between the programs that can offer players the most money through NIL opportunities and those who offer less.

"We don't have the same funding resources as some of these schools do for these NIL deals," he said. "It's basically dealing with different salary caps. Now we have a sport that has completely different salary caps and some of these schools have, whatever, five to 10 times more than everybody else in what they can pay the players. I know nobody uses those phrases, but that is what it is."

Professional sports, of course, has varying forms of salary caps. The NFL and NBA each operate under a soft cap system, while the NBA also has a luxury tax for teams that go over that soft cap (teams can go over the cap when re-signing their own players, for instance).

Major League Baseball does not have a salary cap, though it does have a competitive balance tax, which operates similarly to the NBA's luxury tax. And European soccer does not have a salary cap or luxury tax, though it does have financial fair play, which seeks to enforce that clubs balance their books and don't operate in debt.

The difference between those leagues and college football, however, is that the players are directly paid by their teams or clubs. In college football, however, players are only permitted to make money off their name, image or likeness rights.

That means that schools that can provide the best avenue to potential endorsement deals will have a stronger recruiting pitch than schools that don't. But those same schools likely have a larger operating budget, better facilities, etc. that they will highlight in their recruiting pitches before players can earn NIL money.

And while college players weren't making any money for most of the NCAA's history, college coaches have been pulling in multi-million dollar salaries. How many of those same coaches eschewed a big payday to stay at a smaller school?

"Somehow they're going to, I bet, try to control NIL because now you've got these salary caps at places, giving players millions of dollars before they ever play, and other places not being able to do that," Kiffin said. "What would the NFL look like if there were a couple of teams in the NFL where their salary cap was 10 times more than everybody else's salary cap? That's where we're headed, so they're going to have to do something."

Until there is a salary cap for college coaches and administrators, however, arguing that there should be one for NIL earnings for college players may come across as being a bit disingenuous.

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin is reportedly hiring his brother Chris as co-defensive coordinator, according to ESPN's Chris Low. 

Chris Kiffin is expected to coach the Rebels' linebackers and work in conjunction with Chris Partridge as co-coordinators. Partridge has coached the Ole Miss safeties for the past two seasons. 

The news comes after D.J. Durkin left to become defensive coordinator at Texas A&M after two seasons as the Rebels' defensive play-caller. 

Chris Kiffin served as a defensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2020-21 and has also held various roles around college football, including:

• Defensive line coach for Arkansas State (2011)
• Defensive line coach and defensive recruiting coordinator for Ole Miss (2012-16)
• Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Florida Atlantic (2017)

Ole Miss finished the 2021 season with a 10-3 record. It was Kiffin's second season as head coach. 

The New York Jets thought highly enough of Zach Wilson to select him with the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and the BYU product has reportedly come up as a comparison point for prospect Matt Corral ahead of the 2022 draft.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted some have compared the Ole Miss signal-caller to Wilson even though others are concerned about his ceiling.

"I think Corral is a fringe guy who could start with the right pieces around him, but he's not ideal," a scout said. "Zach had more physical ability. Corral is tougher, mentally and physically, from what I've heard. For a small guy that doesn't live on the deep ball, I expected Corral to anticipate and process better."

The Wilson comparisons make some sense.

After all, Corral is listed at 6'2", which is the same height as Wilson. They are also both capable of making plays with their legs and their arm, which gives defenses more to account for.

Wilson has been anything but consistent as a rookie, although he's on a rebuilding Jets team and not surrounded by the same level of talent as fellow first-year quarterback Mac Jones of the New England Patriots.

The 22-year-old has completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 2,247 yards, eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions to go with 161 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. 

He has shown some strides of late, though, and has seven total touchdowns and one interception in his past five games even if the Jets are 1-4 in that stretch.

There was a time when Corral was seen as a surefire Heisman Trophy candidate, but he fell behind other quarterbacks such as Alabama's Bryce Young—the eventual winner—and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud as the season progressed. It surely didn't help that his Rebels lost to Young's Crimson Tide 42-21.

Still, Corral led Ole Miss to a 10-3 record and appearance in the Sugar Bowl while completing 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,349 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions to go with 614 yards and 11 scores on the ground.

Yet there are now questions about his health after he suffered an ankle injury in the Sugar Bowl loss to Baylor and was seen on the sidelines with crutches.

The B/R NFL Scouting Department listed Corral as the No. 3 quarterback prospect this year behind Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder and Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett in November, but that was before the injury.                

Like many college coaches, Lane Kiffin does not appear to be a fan of the NCAA's new, looser rules on player transfers.

The Ole Miss coach said Monday that players have begun treating the transfer portal like a sort of free agency. 

"I don't think people really say it this way, but let's not make a mistake: We have free agency in college football," Kiffin told reporters. "The kids a lot of times go to where they're going to get paid the most. No one else is saying that, maybe. But the kids say 'This is what I'm getting here from NIL.'"

The NCAA began allowing players to make money off their name, image and likeness earlier this year. Several star-level players have signed contracts in the six or even seven figures, and even most lower-profile players at Power Five schools have been able to cash in. 

The NCAA now also allows players to transfer one time without losing a year of eligibility. Under previous rules, players needed a hardship exemption or they would have to sit out a season.

The NCAA began allowing players to make money off their name, image and likeness earlier this year. Several star-level players have signed contracts in the six or even seven figures, and even most lower-profile players at Power Five schools have been able to cash in. 

The NCAA now also allows players to transfer one time without losing a year of eligibility. Under previous rules, players needed a hardship exemption or they would have to sit out a season.

Kiffin is probably not wrong in his assessment of the new market. It's almost certain players are comparing their NIL opportunities at different schools, and programs with strong local business ties are going to have more robust offers waiting for top talent.

While Kiffin and other coaches may not like the new normal, the situation seems far more like a feature than a bug. For decades, players have been cut out of a multi-billion-dollar business that saw coaches and school administrators get rich off what amounted to unpaid labor. 

Kiffin's new contract at Ole Miss will pay him $7.5 million annually. He's also no stranger to abandoning a program when a better opportunity comes along; Kiffin remains persona non grata in Tennessee after bolting for USC after only one season in Knoxville. We've seen Brian Kelly (Notre Dame to LSU), Lincoln Riley (Oklahoma to USC) and Mario Cristobal (Oregon to Miami) leave one major program for what they felt was a better—and more lucrative—opportunity elsewhere.

Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin is "not in the mix" for Oregon's head-coaching vacancy, according to John Canzano of the Oregonian. 

Kiffin and the Rebels agreed to a contract extension last week. Chris Low and Harry Lyles Jr. of ESPN reported the deal would pay him around $7.5 million per year. 

"We are committed to winning championships at Ole Miss, and Coach Kiffin is the person to lead us to those heights," the school's vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics, Keith Carter, said in a statement after the agreement. "With his winning edge, offensive vision and recruiting prowess, he has quickly cemented our team among the best in the nation, and this is just the start.

"With major facility projects on the horizon, we are investing in this program like never before and look forward to building on the foundation that Coach Kiffin has established."

Kiffin, 46, has led the Rebels to a 10-2 mark in 2021—the school's first 10-win regular season in program history—and a 15-7 record across two seasons. The Rebels are heading to a New Year's Six bowl game this season.

Kiffin's journey has been a fascinating one. He held a number of assistant jobs early in his career, including as a Jacksonville Jaguars quality control assistant (2000) and an assistant under Pete Carroll at USC (2001-06), where he took over as offensive coordinator for his final season. 

The Oakland Raiders then hired him as head coach, though he went just 5-15 and was fired four games into his second season in 2008.

He resurfaced with the Tennessee Volunteers, taking over as head coach in 2009 and leading the team to a 7-6 record before being hired as USC's head coach in 2010. After just a 28-15 record in four seasons and one 10-win season, however, the Trojans fired him midway through the 2013 campaign. 

A pattern had seemed to emerge for the young Kiffin—he was given high-profile jobs but failed to get results. He spent the next three seasons under Nick Saban as the offensive coordinator at Alabama, which helped rehab his reputation as one of the bright young offensive minds in the game, before taking over as Florida Atlantic's head coach in 2017.

2015 Alabama coaching staff under Nick Saban. Where are they now:
OC: Lane Kiffin (HC at Ole Miss) 7.2M
DC: Kirby Smart (HC at Georgia) $7.1M
WR: Bill Napier (HC at Florida) $7.4M
OL: Mario Cristobal (HC at Miami) $8M
DB: Mel Tucker (HC at Michigan St) $9.5M
Saban makes $9.7M pic.twitter.com/RoNWVVeoUl

— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) December 7, 2021

In three seasons, he led the Owls to a 27-13 record and two bowl game appearances. 

As for Oregon, the football program is looking to replace Mario Cristobal, who left the school to take over as the Miami Hurricanes head coach. Pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon is serving as the team's interim head coach.

Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin has decided against jumping on the latest coaching carousel.

The university announced it agreed to a new contract with Kiffin, who has led the No. 8 Rebels to a 10-2 record. Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated later reported details of Kiffin's new deal on Monday:

Details of Lane Kiffin's new contract, per @SINow sources:
- starting salary of $7.25M, escalates by $100K each year ($7.55M in final year 2025).
- support staff salary pool to reach a minimum of $3.5M
- Kiffin can get as much as a $200K bonus if at least 40K season tickets sold

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 6, 2021

Reports previously connected Kiffin to the University of Miami, with Andy Slater of Fox Sports 640 South Florida notably stating in November that the 46-year-old would leave for South Florida if the Hurricanes' job opened up.

Kiffin is staying in Oxford, however, as Ole Miss appears headed for a New Year's Six bowl amid one of the best seasons in school history.

Nick Suss of the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger wrote the deal will keep Kiffin in Oxford through 2025. It's a one-year extension for Kiffin, per Suss, who added details on the coach's contract the last time he and the school agreed to a new deal last February.

Kiffin signed his most recent extension on Feb. 28, 2021. That contract gave Kiffin a base salary of $4.5 million for 2021, plus a $500,000 retention bonus for staying in Oxford through Dec. 31. Those values increased by $250,000 each year counting the retention bonus, culminating in a contract worth $5.75 million in 2024.

Big-name coaches have made huge moves in recent days, with Lincoln Riley headed from Oklahoma to USC and Brian Kelly going from Notre Dame to LSU.

Kiffin, though, will not be the next coach to create a massive wave in the college coaching landscape.

He's in his second year in Oxford after leading the Rebels to a 5-5 record last year. The Rebels have doubled their win total despite a litany of injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Despite that, Heisman Trophy candidate and quarterback Matt Corral has led an explosive offense that crushed the SEC this year.

Kiffin has been rewarded for his team's success, and now the Rebels will look to finish the year on a high note in a likely New Year's Six bowl appearance. The latest projections from CBS Sports' Jerry Palm have Ole Miss playing Pitt in the Peach Bowl.

Ole Miss notched its first 10-win season since 2015 after beating Mississippi State 31-21 in the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving Day at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi.

Mississippi State totaled more yards (420) than its opponent (388), which was largely a result of having to play from behind for most of the night. Ole Miss went 11-of-18 on third down and used its running game (154 yards) to great effect.

With a 10-2 record, the ninth-ranked Rebels likely sealed a New Year's Six bowl berth by getting the better of their in-state rivals for the second year in a row.

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Notable Performers

Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss: 26-of-34, 234 yards, one touchdown, one interception; 12 carries, 45 yards, one touchdown

Jerrion Ealy, RB, Ole Miss: 16 carries, 60 yards; five receptions, 43 yards, one touchdown

Dontario Drummond, WR, Ole Miss: 14 receptions, 138 yards

Will Rogers, QB, Mississippi State: 38-of-58, 336 yards, one touchdown

Lideatrick Griffin, WR: Mississippi State: five receptions, 77 yards

Makai Polk, WR, Mississippi State: 10 receptions, 98 yards

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Corral Closes out Regular Season on High Note

This will be Matt Corral's final Egg Bowl after he announced he's moving on following the 2021 season.

The rainy conditions in Starkville made it tough sledding for both offenses, and long throws were basically out of the question for the most part. Corral nevertheless found a way to make a big impact both as a passer and a runner.

His mobility was particularly valuable on a night when head coach Lane Kiffin couldn't get his aerial attack firing. Corral's four-yard touchdown run at the 11:17 mark of the fourth quarter was a backbreaker.

MATT CORRAL. SPIN MOVE 🌪 pic.twitter.com/lOUwwsbcr1

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 26, 2021

In the box score, Corral was credited with a touchdown pass. Jerrion Ealy did the hard work, though, to put the finishing touches on the Rebels' win:

Down and dirty. @ealy_1k pic.twitter.com/zqlr5fjwVd

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 26, 2021

On defense, Sam Williams' two sacks don't accurately portray how much he affected the game. Mississippi State didn't have much of an answer for the Rebels defensive lineman.

One of Williams' two sacks came in the third quarter as the Bulldogs were attempting to convert a fourth down:

https://twitter.com/OleMissFB/status/1464066073716617216

The Egg Bowl is typically where anarchy reigns supreme. The 2021 installment was pretty tame by comparison because of how much Ole Miss controlled the second half on both sides of the ball.

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Bulldogs Rue Missed Opportunities

With less than one minute remaining in the first half, Mississippi State had a 1st-and-goal at the Ole Miss 5-yard line while trailing 10-6. It looked like the Bulldogs would head into the locker room at halftime with the lead.

Instead, Jo'quavious Marks dropped a pair of passes on first and second down before Lideatrick Griffin failed to haul in a pass from Will Rogers in the end zone.

Back-to-back drops for Mississippi State. Off the hands of Jo'quavious Marks and Lideatrick Griffin on consecutive passes. A huge let-off.

Both would've been touchdowns. Instead, a field goal attempt

— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) November 26, 2021

Rather than a fourth try at a touchdown, Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach brought on kicker Nolan McCord, who proceeded to miss his second field goal of the half.

Despite those setbacks, the Bulldogs were only down four points with 30 minutes to play. But the drops and McCord's miss seemed to take the air out of the team.

Three dropped TDs in a row and a missed FG is a justifiable And Then I Decided To Become The Joker football moment

— ¡BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL! (@edsbs) November 26, 2021

Jett Johnson's interception provided a jolt for Mississippi State in the fourth quarter, and Leach's squad capitalized as Rogers hit Jaden Walley for an 11-yard touchdown pass.

But the Bulldogs were still down 11 points, 24-13, with 7:20 on the clock. Their positive momentum was short-lived with Ealy's touchdown quieting the crowd once again.

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What's Next?

With neither Ole Miss nor Mississippi State in the SEC title game, the schools await postseason bowl bids.

Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral announced that he will be playing his final home game on Saturday versus Vanderbilt, presumably signaling his future entrance into the 2022 NFL draft.

Corral released a statement on social media thanking Ole Miss fans, coaches and players before writing that he looked "forward to finishing this journey with Rebel Pride."

https://twitter.com/corral_matt/status/1461875330432524293

Corral is listed 10th overall and first among quarterbacks on NFL Mock Draft Database's latest consensus big board listing the top 2022 NFL draft prospects.

Corral has shined for the No. 10 Rebels, who sport an 8-2 record. He's completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 2,774 yards, 17 touchdowns (two interceptions) and 9.0 yards per pass attempt. He's also rushed for 523 yards and 10 more scores.

The junior out of Ventura, California, has done all this despite playing through ankle injuries.

The Rebels are also significantly shorthanded with injuries, to the point where nine of the 11 offensive starters that led the depth chart for the opener against Louisville were unavailable for an early November practice.

Of note, star wide receiver Jonathan Mingo has only played three games because of a broken foot, and offensive lineman Ben Brown has been out for the year since Week 7.

However, the Rebels have weathered the personnel storm. They are second in the SEC West and looking likely for a New Year's Six bowl game provided they win out versus Vanderbilt and at Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.

Corral could also find himself as a Heisman Trophy finalist when all is said and done as well.

Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin confirmed that he will be in attendance when quarterback Arch Manning and Isidore Newman face Episcopal in the quarterfinals of the Division III LHSAA playoffs in Louisiana on Friday.

Kiffin made it official with the following tweet Friday morning:

Feels like a great night to go watch 2 great high school programs @EHSBRAthletics vs @NewmanAthletes #GoKnights #GoGreenies

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) November 19, 2021

According to ESPN's Tom VanHaaren, a change in NCAA recruiting rules now allows college head coaches to promote recruiting trips to high schools.

Ole Miss is one of several programs known to be in the running for Manning, who is rated as a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class by 247Sports.

Along with Ole Miss, 247Sports lists Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Texas as the schools that have offered Manning a scholarship and are in hot pursuit of the promising signal-caller.

Manning is the nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, and the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning.

Both Eli and Archie played their college football at Ole Miss, making the Rebels strong candidates to potentially land Arch.

After throwing for 1,922 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while leading Isidore Newman to a 9-1 record and a trip to the state semifinals last season, Manning has thrown for 1,327 yards, 17 touchdowns and three picks, while also rushing for 283 yards and four scores in six games this season, per MaxPreps.

Gabe Brooks, a recruiting analyst for 247Sports, projects Manning as an eventual first-round pick in the NFL draft thanks to his elite all-around skill set.

Ole Miss is 8-2 and ranked No. 12 in the nation, meaning it is in the midst of its best season since going 10-3 in 2015.

The Rebs have been carried by their high-powered offense, as they ranked 15th in the country with 36.9 points per game and are led by quarterback Matt Corral, who is a Heisman Trophy candidate in Kiffin's offense.

Ole Miss is peaking at the right time in terms of appealing to Manning, and Kiffin's presence at the Isidore Newman game on Friday could go a long way toward helping Mississippi secure Arch in the near future.