After Mario Cristobal’s aggressive pursuit of middle schoolers to anchor Miami’s recruiting pipeline, Kiffin has now shifted Ole Miss into the ‘Why wait for high school?’ era. He is now eyeing 12- and 13-year-olds as the new frontier for college football commitments. But Kiffin’s passion for recruiting the young guns isn’t new. The most jaw-dropping example? In 2018, when Kiffin was coaching Florida Atlantic, he made an offer to Cole Leinart. He is the 11-year-old son of former USC quarterback Matt Leinart.

Seven years later, the same playbook is back in circulation. Now, Kiffin’s latest headline-grabber involves Madden San Miguel. Don’t recognize him? He is known to all as “Baby Gronk.” The middle school football phenom whose nickname tips a cap to NFL legend Rob Gronkowski. Baby Gronk has turned into a viral sensation long before he’s even eligible for ninth-grade ball. However, Lane Kiffin, never one to shy away from experiments, seems determined to get in early.

In Gronk’s recent Instagram post, he dropped a massive shout-out to the Rebels and Lane Kiffin. “After having a conversation with Coach Kiffin, I am blessed to receive an Offer from Ole Miss @olemissfb @thereallanekiffin,” he writes. He reinstated himself in the class of 2031. But rewind to last year. Baby Gronk had initially committed to Ole Miss, only to flip to Clemson in a move that left Lane Kiffin visibly sulky on social media—complete with the classic “😩” reaction that quickly went viral. Though he’s still ineligible to make any official college commitments under NCAA rules, Kiffin’s patience paid off. The fun part is, Gronk is only 12 years old, but he’s already visited nearly 20 college programs.

He even rubbed shoulders with NBA legends like Shaquille O’Neal and Olivia Dunne. Gronk was actually part of an 8U National Championship team. And back in 2022, when he was 9 years old, he supposedly started getting “offers” from some of the biggest football programs in the country. LSU, Florida State, Alabama, Texas, and the whole list goes on. He’s been on this wild “camp tour” too, hitting spots like Jackson State, ‘Bama, Ole Miss, LSU, Oklahoma State, Texas — basically everywhere. After making the rounds, he hit pause on committing anywhere.

Deion Sanders, Nick Saban, and even Lane Kiffin himself were all keeping tabs on him. No wonder Kiffin pounced when the timing was just right. And the cherry on top? This kid can play anywhere: tight end, running back, quarterback, you name it. And he’s averaging six touchdowns a game at this age. Barstool Sports even posted his stats: 7,000 rushing yards, 4,500 receiving yards, and 300 touchdowns, all in just his first two years of tackle football.

In fact, when he was just six years old, he was already out there doing workouts with actual pro athletes. That includes Tennessee Titans’ running back Tony Pollard. But where Baby Gronk really separates himself is off the field, thanks in large part to his savvy dad, Jake San Miguel. The elder San Miguel is a marketing whiz and orchestrator. He built his son’s digital authority through connections ranging from NFL veterans to social media influencers. From cozying up with stars like Mark Wahlberg to cameo appearances with college and pro athletes, Madden’s celebrity sizzle is carefully mapped out. “I’m trying to make him the most versatile football player to ever exist,” Madden’s father said.

Gronk is also blazing trails off it as the first middle school athlete to secure a NIL deal. At just 10 years old, Madden’s already cashed in with Champs Sports. He reportedly raked in over $50,000 while still juggling school and youth football. With over 300,000 Instagram followers and millions of YouTube views, Baby Gronk’s social media presence rivals many college and pro athletes. And his dad has played marketer, manager, and hype man all rolled into one.

Rob Gronkowski’s aversion to Baby Gronk’s dad, aka manager

Baby Gronk, who is riding high with Rob Gronkowski’s nickname, has become a social media phenom now. And thanks largely to his father’s relentless marketing machine. On the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, Rob shared an awkward and pretty funny experience about the flood of messages he got from Baby Gronk’s dad.

“My brother was like, ‘Yo, did you see Baby Gronk yet?’ I was like, ‘Did I see him?” Rob said. “His dad f***ing hit me up 500 times already.’ Don’t do anything with him. The dad is so annoying.” The situation got so ridiculous that Rob’s brother even joked about sending a “cease and desist” to Baby Gronk’s dad to cool it down.

Rob had a clear point. “I’ve always said… Kids should play multiple sports,” he said. “And kids should be allowed to be kids. I’m not against advanced leagues, better competition, etc. But no kid should be playing one sport all year & no kid should be training “like a pro” until at least HS. They’re kids.” As per senior Miguel, Gronk hits workouts five days a week and sticks to certain foods to keep himself in shape. For many people, this may seem like an exaggeration for a twelve-year-old.