LSU vs. Ole Miss: Did Kiffin or Golding sign the better transfer class?

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LSU football and Ole Miss have always been rivals. Sure, the game usually doesn't draw the same attention as rivalries like The Game or the Iron Bowl, but that won't be the case this year.

The Lane Kiffin saga turned the dial all the way to the right. After six years in Oxford, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for Baton Rouge. It got messy. Kiffin and Ole Miss couldn't find a path for Kiffin to coach the Rebels in the playoff, and Kiffin departed just before Ole Miss's CFP run.

Ole Miss promoted Pete Golding to head coach and made the CFP semi-final. Meanwhile, Kiffin got to work assembling one of the best rosters in the country at LSU.

LSU and Ole Miss fans have gone back and forth on social media all offseason. One of the debates has centered around their respective transfer portal classes. Today, we'll take a look at whether the Tigers or Rebels signed the haul.

LSU vs. Ole Miss: Who signed the better transfer portal class?

Kiffin earned the reputation of "Portal King" at Ole Miss. Kiffin and Co. consistently found difference makers in the portal and brought the Rebels unprecedented success in the modern era. That's a key reason LSU wanted to hire Kiffin, and a big reason why Ole Miss wanted to promote from Kiffin's staff.

The thinking was sound on both sides. According to 247Sports, LSU signed the top-ranked portal class in the country, but Ole Miss was No. 2.

As far as raw talent goes, LSU's class is better. LSU's class score of 80.03 is significantly ahead of Ole Miss's 57.48. LSU signed 40 players while the Rebels signed 29.

But we have to grade on a scale. Kiffin and Golding were facing different tasks when the portal opened. Kiffin had to rebuild an entire roster. Golding was focused on filling holes on a team that just went to the semi-final.

Ole Miss and Golding did just that. The Rebels signed ex-Auburn cornerback Jay Crawford, a proven SEC defensive back who should allow Ole Miss to play more man coverage. At safety, Ole Miss added Joenel Aguero and Edwin Joseph, two more Power Four defensive backs.

Still, I'm giving the edge to LSU. Even when grading on a scale, it's hard to ignore the pure star power and depth in LSU's haul. Kiffin signed three of the top five-ranked transfers in the sport according to 247's rankings. QB Sam Leavitt, OT Jordan Seaton, and EDGE Princewill Umanmielen all have star potential for the Tigers. Meanwhile, Ole Miss didn't sign a five-star transfer.

That's not to say Ole Miss's transfer class lacks potential, but there are less sure things. That may not matter, though. Ole Miss is already returning a plethora of players who were good enough for the College Football Playoff in 2025.

Ole Miss is talented enough to compete at a high level again in 2026, but I'm giving LSU's portal class the edge. I think the Tigers added too much talent for any other portal class in America to even stack up. Kiffin has the tools to make a run in year one.

Verdict: LSU

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football vs. Ole Miss: Who won the transfer portal battle?

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