The hype was deafening. If you spent any time on social media or sports talk radio in the summer of 2024, you heard it: Ole Miss was the "Portal King." Lane Kiffin had assembled a roster that looked more like an NFL Pro Bowl team than a college squad. Fans in Oxford weren't just thinking about a winning season; they were looking at the College Football Playoff as a birthright. Honestly, that kind of pressure usually breaks teams.
But here’s the thing.
The Ole Miss football 2024 story isn't just a tale of high expectations. It was a chaotic, record-breaking, and eventually heart-wrenching rollercoaster that saw the Rebels climb to the mountaintop, only to have the ground shift beneath them in the final weeks.
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The Jaxson Dart and Tre Harris Show
Everything started with Jaxson Dart. By the time the season wrapped up, he became the first Ole Miss quarterback named first-team All-SEC since Eli Manning in 2003. Think about that for a second. In a program that has seen plenty of elite passers, Dart stood alone for two decades. He completed 69.3% of his passes for 4,279 yards.
He didn't just play well; he set the school record for total offense with 4,774 yards.
Then you had Tre Harris. If he hadn't dealt with a recurring groin injury, we might be talking about the greatest receiving season in SEC history. Even while missing significant time and playing in only eight games, he still hauled in 60 catches for 1,030 yards. When he was on the field, the offense was basically unstoppable. When he wasn't? Well, things got a little more "pedestrian," as some analysts put it.
Why the Kentucky and LSU Losses Hurt So Much
For a team with national title aspirations, the margin for error is razor-thin. Ole Miss found that out the hard way. The home loss to Kentucky (20-17) was a total gut punch. Caden Davis, who actually had a great year and broke the school scoring record, missed a game-tying field goal as time expired.
One kick. That’s all it took to flip the narrative from "invincible" to "vulnerable."
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Then came the Magnolia Bowl against LSU. The Rebels led for every single second of regulation. Every second. And yet, they lost 29-26 in overtime. It was the kind of loss that makes fans want to throw their TVs out the window. Dart was pressured a career-high 147 times throughout the season, and the offensive line struggles really showed up in these tight games.
The Georgia Masterclass
If you want to know what this team was actually capable of, look at the Georgia game. The Bulldogs came into Oxford ranked No. 3 in the country. In front of a record crowd of 68,126 people, the Ole Miss defense didn't just win—they dominated.
They held Kirby Smart’s offense to just 10 points.
Walter Nolen, the prized transfer from Texas A&M, proved why he was a unanimous All-American. He and Princely Umanmielen (the Florida transfer) lived in the backfield. That 28-10 win was Lane Kiffin's first top-five victory as the Rebels' head coach. For a moment, it felt like the "Championship or Bust" mantra was actually coming true.
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The Kiffin Exit and the Playoff Chaos
Then, everything got weird.
As the regular season ended, rumors started swirling that Lane Kiffin was headed to LSU. It’s the kind of distraction no team wants right before a potential playoff run. On November 30, it became official: Kiffin was gone. Pete Golding, the defensive coordinator, was suddenly the guy in charge.
The drama was insane. You had assistant coaches like Joe Cox and George McDonald essentially working two jobs—coaching Ole Miss for the playoffs while recruiting for LSU. Golding didn't mince words, basically saying the guys who stayed were the ones who mattered.
Despite the "Kiffin coaching chaos," the Rebels actually played some of their best football in the postseason. They blew out Tulane and then took down Georgia again in the CFP quarterfinals. It was an improbable, gritty run led by a team that felt betrayed by their leader.
The Final Score in the Fiesta Bowl
The run finally ended in the Fiesta Bowl against Miami. It was a bizarre game where the Hurricanes' defense, led by Ruben Bane Jr., turned into a brick wall. Ole Miss was held to minus-1 yard early in the game.
Even with Trinidad Chambliss (who took over some of the dual-threat duties) and a late surge, they couldn't overcome the Hurricanes. They lost 24-17, ending a season that saw them reach the CFP semifinals for the first time in program history.
Actionable Insights for the 2025 Transition
If you’re following the program into the next cycle, here is what you actually need to watch:
- The Quarterback Battle: With Jaxson Dart gone to the NFL (Drafted by the Giants), the "Austin Simmons era" is officially here. Kiffin (well, Golding now) has praised his ceiling, and he showed flashes of it against Georgia when he led a 75-yard TD drive in relief.
- The Portal Strategy: Pete Golding is already doubling down. He has landed 12 transfers recently, including Carius Curne, a five-star offensive tackle from LSU, and safety Joenel Aguero from Georgia. The "Portal King" title might have moved from Kiffin to Golding.
- Defensive Identity: The 2024 team was built on a dominant defensive line. With Nolen and Umanmielen moving on to the pros, watch how Golding uses Chris Hardie and the new incoming freshmen to maintain that "bend but don't break" style.
- Schedule Shifts: The 2025 schedule is front-heavy with home games. If the new-look Rebels can survive a mid-season stretch that includes LSU and Georgia, they’ll be right back in the playoff conversation.
Ole Miss finished 10-3 (5-3 SEC) and secured back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 1960. It wasn't the national championship fans craved, but in the context of the program's history, it was undeniably legendary.