Lane Kiffin never left Oxford quietly, and it looks like the noise followed him to Baton Rouge. The newly minted LSU head coach stirred the pot with comments about the transfer portal, dragging the Ole Miss Rebels into the mix and throwing shade at the state’s talent pool. An ESPN analyst didn’t let it slide, rolling out proof to prove Kiffin wrong.

“Despite what was just said on an interview at the LSU bowl game,” ESPN analyst Mike Espy dropped a subtle jab at Kiffin without taking his name on X. “Per capita, Mississippi sits right behind Louisiana in producing NFL players. That’s not opinion—that’s reality. This state consistently develops elite talent.”

The analyst further attached a screenshot of the date. It shows that Georgia leads the nation in the number of NFL players produced per capita, followed closely by Louisiana, while Mississippi ranks third. According to September 2025 data, Georgia produces one player per 74,908 residents, while Louisiana produces one player per 78,945 residents. 

In the case of Mississippi, there is one player for every 92,540 residents. What led the analyst to develop a strong proof and a detailed analysis of state-wise talent production?

Midway through the second quarter of the Texas Bowl, Kiffin hopped on the headset with ESPN’s Tom Hart and Cole Cubelic, and the conversation took a turn. 

While breaking down LSU’s transfer-portal approach, Kiffin couldn’t resist circling back to Ole Miss, pulling his former program into the recruiting debate when asked about evaluating current LSU football players. 

“We were aware of (the talent at LSU). We played against them. But we’re also in a world with transfers where a lot of the rosters change every year,” Kiffin added some extra spice. “You know, at Ole Miss, no significant players on that roster, probably the best offense in football, no players came from Mississippi. Players came in to be a part of what we were doing.”

Way back in 2021, Rick Cleveland dropped a stat bomb. Since 1936, when the NFL began keeping clean roster records, Mississippi has produced a staggering 788 NFL players. Breaking it down by population, the Magnolia State flexed even harder, producing 26.6 pro football players for every 100,000 people.

While sizing up LSU’s roster, Kiffin couldn’t resist a drive-by at Oxford, suggesting Ole Miss had little to no homegrown juice. Even though he bragged about rolling out the nation’s best offense. In other words, the wins were portal-powered, not Mississippi-made, as per Kiffin. 

But history tells a different story. The Walnut Grove star, running back Jerrion Ealy, led the team in rushing attempts (147), rushing yards (745), and rushing touchdowns (9). He earned All-American and All-SEC honors during his Rebels stint. Chris Jones is still a threat in the Kansas City Chiefs’ trenches. Once an under-the-radar defensive end from a tiny Mississippi town of just over 3,600, he’s now the backbone of Kansas City’s front. Now, what makes Kiffin boast about LSU now?

The roster that Lane Kiffin receives upon stepping into Baton Rouge

In the latest recruiting haul, Ole Miss locked down its backyard in a big way, snagging five of Mississippi’s top 12 prospects. The group was headlined by No. 39 wideout Caleb Cunningham, with cornerback Maison Dunn (No. 134), defensive lineman Andrew Maddox (No. 208), S Cortez Thomas (No. 323), and linebacker Jarcoby Hopson (No. 361) rounding out a strong in-state takeover.

Kiffin’s LSU is making the Bayou proud this cycle, locking in five of the state’s top seven recruits. Topping the list: No. 1 ATH Lamar Brown, No. 24 defensive lineman Richard Anderson, No. 97 offensive tackle Brysten Martinez, No. 139 wide receiver Jabari Mack, and No. 196 safety Aiden Hall. When it comes to Louisiana talent, the bar is stratospheric, and Kiffin is fully aware.