Pete Golding’s Rebels just struck gold before the New Year even arrived. The owner of the $13.8 billion empire and the New England Patriots, Robert Kraft, extended a notable gesture to Ole Miss as they prepare for their high-stakes playoff quarterfinals against Georgia.

Robert Kraft allowed Ole Miss to use their team’s private plane “AirKraft One”, giving them a first-class trip to New Orleans ahead of their playoff clash. The Patriots are one of just two teams in the NFL that own their plane. And getting a chance to take a ride on it took Pete Golding’s team up another notch as they thanked the Patriots for this gesture.

“Thanks for the lift @Patriots 👋,” Ole Miss Football said on their official X page.

The connection between the Patriots and Ole Miss runs deeper than this gesture. Former New England special teams coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Judge serves as a senior analyst on the Rebels staff. Even offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. brings Patriots DNA into the program, following his father, Charlie Weis, who led the Patriots offense from 2000 to 2004.

This is Ole Miss’s first-ever playoff appearance, and Robert Kraft’s gesture just made it extra special and a moment to cherish for a lifetime. But this isn’t the first time he has done something of this kind. Back in 2021, the University of Rhode Island football team received an unexpected boost during its unbeaten 5-0 start when Kraft gave them Patriots aircraft and covered all travel expenses. This saved their eight-hour bus ride to Baltimore for a road game against Towson.

So, it’s pretty much Kraft’s intention to boost the team’s morale, which was visible in the players’ excitement too. After taking in the entire luxury experience of the “AirKraft One” to New Orleans, junior wide receiver Cayden Lee expressed his excitement to play in Louisiana.

“That’s big time, the Superdome; that’s something that everybody dreams of playing, and such an amazing environment,” Lee said to the media after landing. “We know the fans are going to come out and pack it, just like they pack it back home, so we’re excited. I’ve heard great things about Louisiana, you know. Trey Harris was from here, and a couple of people that I know are from here, and they just said, ‘Maybe if we get some free time, we’ll be able to go to their house and get some home cooking,’ so I’m excited for that.”

With a perfect start to their quarterfinal game, Ole Miss also got massive transfer portal news.

The LSU transfer portal shake-up can turn into a boon for Pete Golding’s team.

As the playoff timeline clashes with the transfer portal, Pete Golding’s Ole Miss is no longer taking stress. LSU’s misery in the transfer portal can help them big time. Lane Kiffin loses sixteen players to the portal as they plan to enter it on January 2nd. Now, Ole Miss has already gotten a major boost after taking in Frank Wilson as associate head coach and running backs coach. His ties with all the players entering the portal can help the Rebels gain momentum with them.

Among them, one of the most intriguing potential targets is cornerback Ashton Stamps, who’s a Louisiana native with two years of eligibility remaining. He started in all 13 games in the 2024 season and recorded 74 tackles and 16 pass breakups across 24 career games. Defensive lineman Ahmad Breaux also stands out after appearing in 24 games in two seasons. In 2024, he recorded 17 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, and this season, he has 19 tackles with 0.5 sacks.

Running back Kaleb Jackson adds another layer of interest. The former No. 1 running back in Louisiana carries both size (6’2”, 234 pounds) and experience despite limited production. He recorded four touchdowns for 331 yards across 30 games. This season, he redshirted to preserve eligibility, which gives him two more years to play. It remains to be seen if they can land any of them.

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