Ole Miss football made one under-the-radar upgrade. It could be Lane Kiffin's difference maker

OXFORD — In 2022, Ole Miss football recorded its third top-five finish in three years in the SEC's points-per-game rankings under Lane Kiffin. The Rebels scored 435 total points across 13 games. Only 77 came in the fourth quarter.

That's weird, isn't it?

You don't need to be a mathematician to see those numbers and conclude that the Ole Miss offense didn't pull its weight late in games. Just 17.7% of its total scoring came in the last 15 minutes. The Rebels went entirely scoreless in the fourth quarter on six occasions, including losses to Alabama and LSU.

"We didn't all of a sudden not know how to coach," Kiffin said.

So why, then, did Ole Miss score only eight more fourth-quarter points than Kentucky, which fielded the SEC's worst offense from a points-per-game standpoint last season?

The answer lies in the lower reaches of the depth chart. And Kiffin believes he has addressed the issue for 2023.

Under Kiffin, Ole Miss runs one of the most physically demanding offenses in college football. Doing that requires depth, specifically at the skill positions. He doesn't feel like he necessarily had that last season.

"That's a product of going fast and overplaying players, unfortunately," Kiffin said. "It wears on them. You used to be able to get away with it some because the defense was tired, too, but now the defenses have figured out to rotate all the defensive spots. You don't have depth on offense, you're not rotating. Now you're playing 80-something plays, and those guys are playing 40 plays . . . That's why, to do this system right, you need depth, especially at receiver.

"When you don't, it shows up."

The Rebels lost their top two targets at wideout with Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath making the jump to the NFL.

But the influx of talent has been considerable. In the transfer portal, Kiffin nabbed a pair of productive veterans from Conference USA in Tre Harris from Louisiana Tech and Zakhari Franklin from UTSA. True freshman Ayden Williams has been the talk of the preseason and will play immediately, barring a huge surprise. Fellow rookie Cayden Lee is making plays as well.

Progression from returners will be vital if Kiffin is to achieve the depth he wants at receiver, too. Ole Miss will need more from the likes of Jordan Watkins, Dayton Wade, Jalen Knox and Bralon Brown.

"I think it's much better in the skill positions," Kiffin said, comparing this team's depth to what he had last season. "Offensive line, not necessarily a big difference, but a little better. But at the skill positions, especially tight end and receiver, we feel a lot better about our backups."

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At tight end, Memphis transfer Caden Prieskorn looks to have solidified his role as the main man, with Michael Trigg and Kyirin Heath offering depth.

Depth at running back will be key, too. Ole Miss ran 78.8 plays on average in games against FBS opposition last season. That's more than eight full plays over the median number in the college game. In their first two years under Kiffin, the Rebels ran more than 80 plays per game.

As great as running back Quinshon Judkins is, it's probably unrealistic to expect him to play every snap. He led the SEC in carries with 274 last season — 42 more than the next closest running back — despite accounting for just 44.6% of Ole Miss' rushing attempts. Production from transfer Jam Griffin and the returning Ulysses Bentley IV will be vital.

"We're a fast offense," Bentley said Tuesday. "We get to the fourth or fifth play, I gotta get a little breather."

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Lane Kiffin under-the-radar upgrade that could help Ole Miss football