The Ole Miss Rebels have been waiting for their chance at a national title.
They might finally get it in 2024.
Lane Kiffin has loaded up the Rebels roster with an influx of talent via the transfer portal. Key names like Princely Umanmielen, Walter Nolen, and Antwane Wells Jr. will play big roles on both sides of the ball.
Ole Miss is coming off an 11-win season, the first in program history. Now, Kififn has hits sights set even higher.
Let's make some bold predictions for what to expect from his Rebels in 2024.
Tre Harris will make first-team All-SEC
If Tre Harris continues his current trajectory, then there's no reason why he won't be one of the top wide receivers in the SEC this season.
Harris developed into a star for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. In 2022, he earned first-team C-USA honors after racking up 935 yards and 10 touchdowns on 65 catches. He transferred to Ole Miss this past season and barely saw a decrease in production, logging 54 receptions for 985 yards and eight scores.
Now, Harris has a whole offseason to keep working on his chemistry with quarterback Jaxson Dart. A few more receivers may have come in from the transfer portal, but Harris will have the luxury of a whole season with Dart compared to his new teammates.
Plus, the extra firepower on the offense might force defenses to pay less attention to him. That could lead to some absurd production in 2024.
Ole Miss will play in the SEC Championship
A College Football Playoff appearance is a real possibility given the expanded 12-team bracket.
So is a trip to the SEC Championship.
Ole Miss has typically had to sit at home during conference championship weekend due to playing in the same division of the SEC as the Alabama Crimson Tide. That's no longer the case. The SEC is scrapping divisions for the 2024 season due to the arrivals of the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns.
That means that Ole Miss just has to finish in the top two of the conference to earn a championship berth.
Given their 11-win season and all of the transfer momentum, there's a very real path for Ole Miss to fight their way into the conference title game. The Georgia Bulldogs are likely the favorite to win the conference, but the rest of the field is wide open for a Rebels run.
Lane Kiffin will win SEC Coach of the Year
It's an honor that Kiffin has never been able to win, but all the momentum going Ole Miss' way feels like that will change this year.
Kiffin has turned the Rebels from a mediocre SEC program to one with a legit chance at playing in the College Football Playoff this year. An 11-win season for the Rebels should have been enough to win Coach of the Year last season, but the emergence of the Missouri Tigers under Eliah Drinkwitz led to a different result.
Given the current projections, Kirby Smart and Georgia should be national title contenders yet again. However, voters could have fatigue towards picking Smart after back-to-back Coach of the Year wins in 2021 and 2022.
Some voters may not be a fan of Kiffin's style or new-era approach to the transfer portal. But it will be too difficult to ignore the results if he can lead his program into the College Football Playoff this year.
