Lane Kiffin has never been bashful about using the transfer portal. He’s used the portal to get players such as Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss’ starting quarterback this and last season), Tre Harris (Ole Miss’ leading receiver this season), and Zach Evans (a former TCU running back who got drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2023 NFL Draft), among others. Kiffin just recently landed Arkansas linebacker Chris Paul Jr. in the portal too, so he’s already been busy looking for more players for Ole Miss. But he isn’t done yet, nor should he be. There are still a couple of players whom Ole Miss has already registered interest in that are still available in the portal that Kiffin should bring with him to Oxford.

Andrew Mukuba, Safety

There might not be a defensive player, let alone a defensive back, who is garnering more attention and interest in the transfer portal than Clemson’s Andrew Mukuba. According to Jason Suchomel of orangebloods.com, one of the spots that Mukuba visited after he entered the transfer portal is Ole Miss.

Mukuba cleaned up a lot for the Tigers’ secondary this season. Not only was he third on the team in total tackles on the season with 42 of them, but he was also tied for the lead among the team in passes defended with six. Fellow safety Khalil Barnes as well as corners Nate Wiggins and Shelton Lewis tied Mukuba in that department.

Losing Mukuba would be a big blow to the Tigers’ secondary and a huge boost for the Rebels. Mukuba was a big reason why the Tigers ranked seventh in the country in yards allowed per game (278.7) and fifth in the nation in passing yards allowed per game (162.2). Ole Miss, meanwhile, gave up 371.9 yards per game and 220 passing yards per game. They were nowhere near Clemson in either department. While Mukuba won’t completely fix Ole Miss’ defense, he’d help their secondary exponentially. He is visiting Texas but Ole Miss would be a fantastic destination.

Chase Bisontis, Offensive Lineman

Chase Bisontis was a high-profile recruit in the 2023 recruiting class. ESPN ranked him as the 62nd-best recruit in the 2023 recruiting class. Bisontis committed to Texas A&M and held his own as the Aggies’ starting right tackle. But, perhaps because of the coaching change at A&M, Bisontis put his name in the portal.

It is never a bad idea to add more bulk in the SEC, especially for a team like Ole Miss that will routinely have to play the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M, among others. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss’ starting quarterback, was sacked 26 times this season. He has heard from plenty of programs, including Ole Miss.

While that number was tied for eighth in the SEC last season, they were closer to taking the fifth-most sacks in the conference than they were to the 10th-most sacks. And among the teams that racked up the most sacks in the country defensively, two of them (Texas A&M and Alabama) share a division with the Rebels. The Ole Miss football program offered Bisontis coming out of high school. After adding Gerquan Scott out of the transfer portal already, getting Bisontis could possibly give Ole Miss one of the best offensive lines in the SEC.