Lane Kiffin just reacted to a big move by the Vikings! A move that brought one of his former Rebels stars back into the spotlight. That too, at a crucial moment.

Well, it’s been a rollercoaster week for the Vikings. Their star rookie quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, is out for the season due to a torn meniscus. Just this Wednesday, the Vikings’ head coach Kevin O’Connell announced that McCarthy had his knee surgery and provided an update on the situation. Soon, on August 16th, the Vikings’ official X account shared the news: “The #Vikings have signed QB Matt Corral and placed QB J.J. McCarthy on IR.”

The Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin, quickly applauded O’Connell’s smart move. He simply reposted the news with a heart emoji, showing his support. And get this, Kiffin isn’t just cheering for the Vikings’ smart move. It’s a shoutout for his former QB Corral too!

The Vikings have been making some bold moves at the quarterback position since letting veteran Kirk Cousins go. Instead of extending Cousins’ contract, they drafted McCarthy this year with a 4-year deal reportedly worth around $21.85 million. But with McCarthy’s injury, things took an unexpected turn. Even though signing Corral adds a new twist, the Vikings’ future still seems uncertain.

However, Kiffin is unfazed about all and is clearly rooting for his ex-QB. In fact, Corral was the one who led the Rebels to their first 10-win season, and now has a shot to make it big in the NFL. Will Kiffin’s star shine in this ongoing season?

Lane Kiffin’s star in McCarthy’s place

It’s fair to say that Matt Corral was one of Lane Kiffin’s favorite quarterbacks. Corral was Kiffin’s guy for the past two years. Together, they turned Ole Miss into a serious SEC contender. However, the 2021 Sugar Bowl was quite a tough loss.

Corral suffered a terrible leg injury, which led to a defeat against Baylor in the finals. Despite this, Kiffin remained supportive, saying, “So my mind raced with a lot of thoughts right there,” and added, “And that’s just for my love for him [Corral]. Just like if it was my own son in that situation.” Now, this shows the deep bond between them. And after the Sugar Bowl, Corral was drafted in the 3rd round by the Carolina Panthers, but his NFL journey has been challenging due to a Lisfranc injury. He also had stints with the Patriots and Stallions, leaving him with just a 58.1% pass completion rate. It seems Corral lost some of the magic he had under Kiffin.

Now with the Vikings, can Corral help them to a winning season? J.J. McCarthy already led Minnesota to a 24-23 win against the Raiders, but with McCarthy out, it’s uncertain if they can keep up the momentum. It’s reported that QB Sam Darnold is likely to start, while Corral finds his footing. Well, let’s just hope Kiffin’s star shines again with his new team!