Fresh off a third 10-win season in four years, expectations have rarely been higher for Ole Miss football under sixth-year head coach Lane Kiffin. Though the Rebels fell short of their College Football Playoff ambitions in 2024, there’s still a sense of optimism among those in the college football world that the Rebels could still contend for a CFP spot going into the 2025 season for multiple reasons.

Based on three particular factors: returning production, recent recruiting and recent on-field success, ESPN’s Bill Connelly recently put Ole Miss inside the top 10 of his initial 2025 ESPN SP+ rankings. The Rebels are one of six SEC teams inside said top 10. Ole Miss finished as a ranked team in all of the final national polls at the conclusion of the 2024 season.

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ESPN’s Initial 2025 SP+ Rankings (Top 25):

1. Ohio State

2. Alabama

3. Penn State

4. Georgia

5. Notre Dame

6. Oregon

7. Texas

8. Tennessee

9. Ole Miss

10. LSU

11. Clemson

12. Texas A&M

13. Michigan

14. Miami

15. Missouri

16. South Carolina

17. Florida

18. SMU

19. Kansas State

20. Oklahoma

21. Iowa

22. Louisville

23. Auburn

24. Indiana

25. Illinois

Others: TCU, BYU, Iowa State, Arizona State and USC.

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Ole Miss concluded the 2024 season with an overall record of 10-3 (5-3 SEC), culminating in a dominant 52-20 Gator Bowl victory over Duke back in January. The Rebels started the season ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll and having true national championship and College Football Playoff ambitions, only to be undone by three SEC losses all decided by a score or less. When the final 12-team bracket was revealed, Ole Miss was left on the outside looking in, finishing No. 14 in the final CFP rankings.

This is Ole Miss’ third double-digit win season in the last four years, the first kind of stretch since 1962. It was the 10th season with 10 wins or more in program history, three of which under head coach Lane Kiffin. Entering his sixth season, Kiffin is tied with former head coach David Cutcliffe for the third most wins (44) in program history.

The 2024 squad reset multiple team season records on both sides of the ball. The offense set a single-season record for total yards (6,845) and passing yards (4,561). Four of the top seven offensive seasons in program history have come under Kiffin’s watch. Defensively, Ole Miss ended the season allowing only 80.5 rushing yards per game, the best by a Rebel defense since 1966. It is the first time holding opponents below the century mark for a season since 2008.

At the time of writing, the 2025 Rebels will feature the nation’s No. 2 transfer portal class according to 247Sports and the nation’s No. 16 high school/JUCO signing class. 

The Rebels will kick off the 2025 season inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium as they host the Georgia State Panthers on Saturday, August. 30. Spring football will officially begin on March 18, with Pro Day and NFL Draft events happening through the month of April.