Lane Kiffin shoulders a huge responsibility heading into the 2025 season. Under his leadership, Ole Miss had been one of the best in the SEC since 2021. With back-to-back 10-win seasons and the program’s best QB in Jaxson Dart, the Rebels had every reason to believe 2024 would be their year. Instead, three costly losses—Kentucky, LSU, and Florida—kept them out of the expanded 12-team playoff. 

Now, with Jaxson Dart heading to the NFL and the Rebels in transition, the question now is if Lane Kiffin can take them to the next level with a new starter in Austin Simmons. On That SEC Football Podcast on March 5, SEC Mike delivered a blunt assessment of where Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss stand in 2025. “This is a team that I’m really, after I did that returning production, which is not the end of all by any means, but I think I may have been a little too high on them.” Not something you’d like to hear from an SEC analyst. 

For a program that has lived on the edge of greatness but never quite broken through, this is the defining moment. “I wonder if most people just because again, you’re third winning this program last four years in the conference,” Mike Bratton added. “Expectations are raised. It’s a playoff or bust, and I don’t mind that mentality, but I don’t know how realistic that is.” Lane Kiffin’s overall 44-18 at Ole Miss proves he’s won at a high level. And their upcoming schedule gives them a real shot. 

The Rebels have all four non-conference games slated at home—Georgia State, Tulane, Washington State, and The Citadel. That’s as manageable as it can be. They’ll also host four SEC games against Arkansas, LSU, South Carolina, and Florida. Meanwhile, they have four conference road games against Kentucky, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs are the name to watch here, but the Rebels just pulled off an upset last season. If they can repeat that feat or keep losses to the minimum, this could be the year they finally break through. But if Lane Kiffin can’t capitalize in 2025, the goodwill he’s built may start to wear thin. So, now the spotlight turns to the Rebels’ signal caller. 

Can Austin Simmons finish what Jaxson Dart started?

Jaxson Dart may be leaving Oxford behind with an all-time best passing record (10,617 yards). But he isn’t worried about the Rebels under a new starter in Austin Simmons, who spent two seasons learning behind him. His actions may be limited, but his performance against Georgia turned heads when he put together a 10-play, 75-yard TD drive for a tie. 

The future NFL QB had nothing but praise for his successor at the NFL Combine. “He’s an elite talent,” Jaxson Dart said of Simmons. “I haven’t really seen anybody like him who can spin the b— with his arm talent. I’m really excited for him. He’s going to take a huge step leadership-wise this year, and I’m really excited for the team to grow, and I think they’re just going to pick up where we left off.” That’s a tall order.

Picking up where Ole Miss left off means staying within the 10-win range and finally entering the playoff conversation. Questions remain to be answered. Can Austin Simmons step up the game? Can Lane Kiffin get Ole Miss over the hump? 2025 is the moment of truth.