Lane Kiffin's ability to develop quarterbacks pay off as top recruit lauds 'amazing' visit to Ole Miss
On the heels of producing two well-producing quarterbacks in Jaxson Dart and Matt Corral, Lane Kiffin is finding it easier these days to attract top talent to Ole Miss. The Rebels are hoping to see Dart land in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft so they can continue building on the momentum in […]
On the heels of producing two well-producing quarterbacks in Jaxson Dart and Matt Corral, Lane Kiffin is finding it easier these days to attract top talent to Ole Miss. The Rebels are hoping to see Dart land in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft so they can continue building on the momentum in place. 2026 quarterback recruit Gavin Sidwar is the most recent target to be impressed with Kiffin's ability to develop signal-callers.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder from Pennsylvania is being chased by Syracuse and Missouri in addition to Ole Miss. However, it's hard to imagine Sidwar would opt for another landing spot if Kiffin prioritizes him over 5-star Ryder Lyons and 4-stars Rees Wise and Landon Duckworth.
Sidwar just attended Ole Miss' first spring practice and had tremendous praise for Kiffin and the program.
“It was great. We went around campus a lot,” Sidwar told On3. “I’ve been here for two days now. The coaches, they’ve all been great. Meeting with coach Weis and stuff was amazing. Just learning about the offense and everything, there was no complaints overall.
Of course, what stood out as much as anything was his interaction with Kiffin and how he projected himself into the Rebels' offense.
“I talked to him a little bit. I mean, he’s a great guy,” Sidwar said. “It’s fun to play for him, his style of coaching and stuff. Everything about Ole Miss is good. It’s what the player wants to be in. That’s why they recruit so good here and stuff.
“If you look at their track record, like Matt Corral, Jaxson Dart, every year they’ve improved, even if that’s minimally. 3,500 yards to 4,000. I mean, that’s minimal, but it’s huge. Every year they improve. Their quarterbacks play great every year. So the proof is there. There’s not really much to say, just go look at the numbers.”
Sidwar is a bit of a unique prospect because he won't be available until the 2028 season because of an LDS mission he accepted. That doesn't seem to be an issue for Kiffin, who Sidwar said showed him how they brought Dart along from Year 1 through his final season in Oxford.
Entering his senior season this fall, Sidwar is coming off a record-breaking season at LaSalle High School. He totaled 2,747 passing yards and led the team to a 10-1 record.
With his unique situation in mind and considering where Ole Miss is trending for Duckworth and Wise, it's possible the Rebels could land all three. Of course, in today's NIL-based world, it's unlikely all three would ever play for Kiffin.
That's a problem for future years, though, and Kiffin should assemble as much talent as he can as he searches for the right leader to keep building on the program's winning ways.
