Ole Miss fans may still be sulking after parting ways with Lane Kiffin. That’s when ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit is urging them to snap out of the heartbreak. Their future isn’t dim at all. Charlie Weis Jr. is stepping right back into Oxford. Time to wipe off the tears because the Rebels just landed a reunion that could flip the playoff luck.

“If Lane Kiffin can’t be there, he’s on to Baton Rouge. Great,” Herbstreit did not mince his words in the latest episode of his podcast. “I love that Charlie Weis is coming back.”

The Rebels got a surprise return flight as their offensive coordinator boomeranged back from LSU, where he briefly followed Kiffin. The announcement dropped on Tuesday, December 2, hours before the CFP rankings stole a little of the committee’s spotlight.

Herbstreit could not wait to appear on his podcast to share his reaction. 

“This is GREAT news! Glad this worked out and hope the committee takes this into consideration with Ole Miss,” the analyst wrote on X, resharing the news of Weis’ return. “Weis Jr has been a critical component for the game prep and play calling on Saturdays!”

Weis Jr. and Kiffin’s bond dates back to the Alabama Crimson Tide (2015-16), when their playbook chemistry first began to develop. After a brief break, the duo linked up again at Florida Atlantic Owls, picking up right where they left off. 

But in 2020, Weis Jr. packed his bags once more, branching out to run the show as South Florida’s offensive coordinator and carving his own lane in the process. In 2022, he joined Kiffin’s staff. As the offensive coordinator and quarterback guru, Weis Jr. helped transform Jaxson Dart into Oxford’s ultimate stat king. 

Kiffin’s former quarterback torched defenses all year, finishing top-five in passing yards, 11th in completion percentage, and top-two in passer rating. But now that the coach is coming back, Kiffin deserves the credit. After all, without his permission, the reunion would not have been possible. 

“I wanted it to be known that after conversations with LSU, we are allowing Charlie to return to Ole Miss to coach the team during the playoffs,” Kiffin said in a statement. “I’ve already made the committee aware of this.”

Weis Jr. hopped on the plane with Kiffin from Oxford to Baton Rouge. After wrapping up the Ole Miss chapter, he will retain the offensive coordinator tag at LSU. Significantly, it’s his fourth stop working alongside Kiffin, following his previous stints at Alabama, FAU, and Ole Miss. Did the former head coach compensate through this?

Kiffin claimed that thirty minutes before the team meeting, he finally got clarity. The 8:30 a.m. call from athletic director Keith Carter told him he wouldn’t coach the playoffs, something he hadn’t realized until that moment.

“Ole Miss officials dispute Kiffin’s account of this, by the way,” reported Ross Dellenger.

Meanwhile, he has already placed the foundational stones in Baton Rouge.

The after-effect of Lane Kiffin’s departure from the Ole Miss squad

Kiffin is rolling into LSU with a full-on convoy of his Ole Miss crew, and leading that caravan is Weis Jr. According to his term sheet obtained by the Daily Advertiser, Weis Jr. locked in a three-year, $6 million deal. By 2028, he’ll be pulling in $2.1 million a year, putting him firmly in the highest-paid assistant coaches tab.

The Daily Advertiser also got its hands on the term sheets for the five other assistants who packed their bags with Kiffin and made the Oxford-to-LSU jump. The reported names are Joe Cox, George McDonald, Sawyer Jordan, Nick Savage, and Mike Williams. Kiffin is not just limiting himself to poaching coaches; he is also targeting the players’ roster.

Four-star tight end JC Anderson made it official with a repost that read, “God’s got me #GeauxTigers,” sealing his flip from Ole Miss to LSU on December 2. 

Kiffin and the Tigers weren’t done. Later that same day, three-star lineman Ryan Miret also ditched Ole Miss for LSU, per Rivals. However, another side of the story also prevails. While they enjoyed the Kiffiin effect, they lost the commitment of Kervin Johnson Jr., who flipped to Ole Miss. 

As the recruits started to fall like dominoes, Tom Fornelli dropped a bomb. Post-Kiffin’s departure, he did not give Ole Miss a spot on his top 12 power ratings list.  

Surprisingly, back in Oxford, it looks like Rebels Nation has already packed away the Lane Kiffin memories. Three players even clapped back after he said they wanted him to keep coaching before he bolted for LSU. Can Kiffin make enough noise at LSU to make the Rebels wonder what they let slip away?