Lane Kiffin’s arrival at LSU came at a high cost for Ole Miss. The Rebels lost coaching staff and players during the transfer portal window to Baton Rouge, including a transfer flip who has now spoken out on his decision. OL Ryan Miret, the three-star prospect, had committed to the Rebels in June last year, but officially signed with LSU during the December signing period.

“I didn’t even have the LSU offer,” Miret told Matt Moscona on the February 13 episode of After Further Review. “So first, they went to the top two schools, which were either Florida or LSU. And I mean, if it really did come down to it, I would have been okay with going to Florida if he [Kiffin] made that decision because I was just locked in with him, and it was the entire staff.

It wasn’t just him who left. It was the entire offensive staff, excluding the offensive line coach. It was like the whole deal, just like staying at Miss would have had too many question marks for me, and that was the biggest reason.”

While that may not be enough for Ole Miss fans, it makes sense from Miret’s perspective. Lane Kiffin was the driving factor in Miret’s commitment to Ole Miss. So, when Kiffin left for Baton Rouge, it was natural that Miret would follow suit. And he was not the only one to do so.

Class of 2026 tight end JC Anderson also followed the same path, decommitting from the Rebels and joining LSU. Pete Golding’s Rebels did, however, get some revenge on LSU, bringing transfer flips Jalan Chapman and Kervin Johnson Jr. to Oxford.

But it seems like the Tigers were the real winners in the end. Miret was the No. 51 interior in his class and the No. 93 recruit in the Sunshine State. Coming out of Southridge Senior High School, what also makes him special is his background as an elite heavyweight wrestler in high school. As a junior, Miret won the FHSAA 3A state wrestling title.

And if there were any doubters about Miret’s ability to adapt to Kiffin’s system, they were put to rest after Miret explained that the system actually fits him better than anything.

Ryan Miret on why LSU’s system fits him better than Pete Golding’s

Lane Kiffin, while a major reason, wasn’t the sole reason Ryan Miret joined the Tigers. It essentially came down to the coaching staff and their system implementation, which was a natural fit for Miret.

“Just look at their output. Like they did last season, they recorded, I think I want to say, 500 yards per game, which is, I mean, crazy.” Miret told Moscona. “And, considering my wrestling background, I really enjoy the tempo offense. Like we’re just going non-stop, non-stop. And I feel like I have the conditioning to kind of be ready for that. And there’s just so many guys, Coach Craig, Coach Wolford [O-line coach], that have like crazy NFL experience.”

Eric Wolford’s arrival at Baton Rouge made things easier for Miret. With a system that fits him under an experienced NFL coach, Miret now has the chance to showcase his abilities during the training sessions and compete for the starting role.