A new rivalry is brewing in the world of college football: Ole Miss versus its former head coach, Lane Kiffin. Kiffin has repeatedly taken shots at his old program, luring in former Ole Miss players to Baton Rouge. After dealing multiple blows to the Rebels and claiming the battle was over on X, Kiffin has now struck again by bringing in a former Ole Miss running back, this time onto his coaching staff.

Lane Kiffin is doing his usual Lane Kiffin things, using his recruiting influence to turn LSU into a powerhouse. The latest blow to the Rebels comes with the hiring of former Ole Miss running back Fred McAfee as an assistant running backs coach under Kevin Smith. Smith is also a new addition to the Tigers, having previously served as Ole Miss’ running backs coach, and McAfee’s arrival is expected to support him during the 2026 season.

McAfee, the son of former New Orleans Saints running back Fred McAfee, was previously a walk-on running back at Ole Miss. He played three seasons with the Rebels from 2021 to 2023, then entered the transfer portal in 2024.

This development comes shortly after Lane Kiffin publicly called for peace between the two programs, urging both fan bases to move on in a post on X.

“It’s a sport, guys,” Kiffin’s post read. “Stop attacking each other personally and each other’s families. Move on, and both sides just enjoy what they have. Make a grateful list of what you have this morning and focus on that, and not what you don’t have.”

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Despite that message, the pattern is visible: Another individual connected to Ole Miss is making the move to Baton Rouge. While Fred McAfee is not an active player, his arrival adds to a growing list of Ole Miss-associated individuals joining LSU. That list already includes Charlie Weis Jr. as offensive coordinator, Dane Stevens as quarterbacks coach, Joe Cox as tight ends coach, and George McDonald as wide receivers coach. With Pete Golding now serving as head coach, LSU has effectively brought most of the Rebels’ former coaching staff.

For Ole Miss fans, the frustration runs deeper. That’s because, beyond the coaching staff, Kiffin also brought in his former players, like Princewill Umanmielen, who initially announced he would return to the Rebels before he did a U-Turn and transferred to LSU. His move further fueled the fire between the two programs, especially as he became the fourth player to switch sides, joining TJ Dottery, Devin Harper, and Winston Watkins.

Adding insult to injury, Kiffin reportedly earned a $500,000 bonus after Ole Miss won against Georgia in the CFP quarterfinal. For the neutral fans, all of this has set the stage for a highly-anticipated matchup when both of these programs meet during the 2026 season. For the Tigers and the Rebels’ faithful, the game will be an intense affair.

Lane Kiffin makes a special gesture to Donald Trump

With the rebuilding underway at Baton Rouge, Lane Kiffin also found time for a headline-grabbing gesture. He posted a photo of a purple-and-yellow hat on X, reading “Make Baton Rouge Great,” very similar to President Donald Trump’s famous slogan, and tagged the president directly. The message showcases the mentality that Kiffin is bringing to LSU: belief, ambition, and a promise to restore LSU to the top of college football.

That’s why he was brought in the first place. The thing is, it has been seven years since the Tigers last won a national championship. That was in 2019, when they defeated Clemson to claim their fourth championship. Since then, LSU has had winning seasons and has shown flashes of brilliance, but nothing close enough to make the fans believe they were the top side.

Bringing Jordan Seaton from Colorado shows how well the January transfer portal went for LSU. Add that to the coaching additions, and it seems like Kiffin has all the pieces he needs to come out full gun blazing next season.