Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin calls for even-handedness in Nico Iamaleava narrative

Ole Miss football has just one practice left in the 2025 spring season.

The Rebels will hold a closed scrimmage on Saturday. They practiced in pads on Thursday. Now-sixth-year head coach Lane Kiffin met the media afterwards to discuss the progress over the last handful of weeks.

Here’s everything he had to say.

OPENING STATEMENT

KIFFIN: Kind of wrapping up spring here, second-to-last practice, (with) one more on Saturday. Really like the guys’ competitiveness and how hard they’re working out there. A lot of battles for positions. It’s been really good.

Excited for Saturday. Obviously unusual timing with the portal and we’re still in spring practice — kind of like the season what happens. But a lot of stuff going on there with visitors here. We’re still practicing and our own guys in conversations about stuff. Just is what it is.

ON THE NICO IAMALEAVA SITUATION

KIFFIN: That could be a lot of things within that answer. I’m not really going to comment much on that because I don’t know all the details. That happens a lot with media with fans obviously nowadays with how quickly things are put out or somebody says something from an unnamed source and all those things and these comments are made. In this instance about a kid and we don’t even have the facts to know if the stuff and the narratives out there is even true.

So, I don’t think it’s really fair to take shots at him when all the facts and details of the situation aren’t out there and seem to be more in favor of the program side. We’re able to have a big voice as a program when a kid leaves or something because we get much more access to the media and controlling the message than the kid does.

I don’t know the details in that. So, I think it’s a little bit unfair what’s going on, especially because I hear the other side that those details that are out there are not accurate.

Spring Shakeup: Ole Miss riding with Simmons, adds Chambliss as QB depth thins

ON OLE MISS ADDING D-ll TRANSFER QB TRINIDAD CHAMBLISS

KIFFIN: We’re always trying to make our roster more competitive. Every individual position group more competitive. We’ve done that in the past, especially with quarterback. It’s worked out really well for us.

It makes the other players better. We were able to (add Chambliss) in a strange circumstance; Division-ll was already in the portal. Got a head start on that versus waiting for this portal and then everybody else on it and what the market’s probably going to drive at that position, which I think will be extremely high.

Glad that we were able to get that done, because it makes the room better. AJ was doing a really good job ’til the injury. We’re very pleased with him.

ON THE NCAA’S NEW RULE ON INJURIES AND TIMEOUTS

KIFFIN: I didn’t even get information from the SEC or NCAA yet. I actually saw that this morning on social media, so I don’t know enough to comment on that.

ON OKLAHOMA TRANSFER WR DE’ZHAUN STRIBLING

KIFFIN: Very competitive, really tough, kind of (Jonathan)-Mingo-ish in that way. Strong, physical. So, really glad. That was a huge concern, you know, in the off-season (and) losing so much in that room. We did a really good job in (recruiting) and turned the room over really well and added some really good players in there. So, really pleased with that room and how those guys are working, really hard. And the culture of the room, too.

ON HOW OLE MISS MIGHT HANDLE A POTENTIAL HOLD-OUT SITUATION SUCH AS IAMALEAVA

KIFFIN: Again, I’m not going to get into that too much because I think that’s the narrative that’s out there of what happened. I’ll just say I’ve talked to the other side of that and Nico’s side is a very different story of what happened.

So, I don’t think it’s fair to comment on that or to say that’s exactly what took place.

ON YOUNG OLE MISS SPRING STANDOUTS

KIFFIN: I don’t know specifically on that. I think there’s just been a number of guys and we just move guys around so much trying to find things. Some guys are hurt. Really trying to focus on getting the players individually better. Not a very good answer for you on that, sorry.

ON SECONDARY AS THE BIGGEST SPRING PORTAL NEED

KIFFIN: Yeah, I think that’s kind of strange to comment on. But it’s a fair question, you know, ‘portal needs.’

We’ve got, still, another scrimmage coming up Saturday. So, fair, question, but I don’t know that that’s beneficial for me to answer.

ON WHAT HE’D LIKE TO SEE FROM OLE MISS IN THE SATURDAY SCRIMMAGE

KIFFIN: Just seeing how individual players finish, knowing that this is their last kind of shot for a while to put the resume on film. So, see how they react to that.

ON JAXSON DART GOING TO THE NFL DRAFT

KIFFIN: Yeah, he’s informed me what he’s doing. I don’t know if that’s really my position to say that, and I don’t know what’s out there. So, he’s made a decision (of) what he’s doing. There’s a lot of different reasons why people do and why they don’t. It’s probably a better question for him.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dart told media at Ole Miss Pro Day (which included the Ole Miss Spirit) last month he was attending the 2025 NFL Draft. The draft is April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

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