Lane Kiffin Beams With Pride as Ole Miss Star Makes Bold Move Before Gator Bowl vs. Duke

Go Rebs! That’s the Lane Kiffin vibe, all day, every day. Even with Ole Miss missing the playoffs, their head coach is still riding high, all about faith, family, and hyping up his squad. Remember the grim 5-7 days back in 2019? Yeah, Kiffin showed up and turned that around faster than you can say “Hotty Toddy.” Now, at 9-3 with a signature win over Oklahoma, the Rebs are rolling, and Kiffin’s offense is pure adrenaline—fast, fearless, and player-focused.

And just before their Gator Bowl showdown with Duke, one of Kiffin’s stars dropped a bold move. Is Lane worried? Not a chance—he’s bursting with pride.

Who stole coach Kiffin’s heart on IG?

On December 15th, Lane Kiffin posted a screenshot of Pooh Paul’s Instagram post to his own story. He captioned it, “One of my favorites ever!!!!” with two heart emojis. It’s clear Coach Kiffin is super proud of Pooh. But what exactly did Pooh post? Following an incredible season with the Rebels, Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr., an LB for Miss, officially announced for the 2025 NFL Draft today. After starting his career at Arkansas, he spent a season with the No. 14 Rebels. And he immediately made an impression on the team.

Looks like Paul’s Rebel adventure is over. He announced on Saturday that he’s leaving Oxford after just one year. “[A]fter many conversations with God, myself, and my parents, I’m extremely blessed to announce that I have decided to enter the 2025 NFL Draft to pursue my dream. I want to thank everyone who has helped me get to this point into my career. God Bless. #HottyToddy,” stated Paul’s IG post.

Pooh Paul was a tackling machine for the Rebels this year. He racked up 88 total tackles, an impressive 50 of which were solo hits. In addition, he recorded 3.5 sacks for 27 yards, 11 tackles for loss for 48 yards, and one interception during this year’s victory over MS State in the Egg Bowl. And in his message, the famous LB expressed his gratitude to this Rebel Nation, stating, “To Rebel Nation, I want to thank you for accepting me with open arms. Y’all were nothing but supportive towards me and my family, and I will be forever grateful for your gratitude towards me and my family throughout my time as a Rebel.“

In case you were unaware, Paul is ranked as the top linebacker in the SEC and the fifth-best linebacker in the country by Pro Football Focus. Conference coaches selected him for the second-team All-SEC. He was also a finalist for the Butkus Award, which is given to CFB’s “most impactful” linebacker. The key concern now is whether he’ll be able to play in the Gator Bowl against Duke.

Will Lane Kiffin’s LB play in the Bowl game?

The very last time we saw Pooh in a Rebel uniform was during the 26-14 victory against Mississippi State since he will not be participating in the Gator Bowl on January 2, as per source data. While his absence might affect the Rebels’ performance in the bowl game, the head coach chose to highlight the linebacker’s strengths. That’s why he congratulated the standout player. “He’s awesome. He’s such a cool kid, old-school player. Just how he practices, how much he cares…(for example) we held LSU to a field goal and he came off yelling ‘that’s too much, we should have held them (to no score),” Kiffin stated.

But Paul was dominant, as he had been all season, tallying six tackles, four of them solo, one sack, and one interception. On top of that, Paul became a top-tier player during his first 3 years of college at Arkansas. And he finished with 137 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and six sacks.

After the 2023 season, Pooh committed to Ole Miss through the transfer site, where he would further develop his abilities and leadership qualities. Now, let’s see what Lane Kiffin can cook up in the Bowl game without his top dog.