Ole Miss’ breakup with Lane Kiffin apparently got so tense that the school’s NIL director says the FBI was brought in to sweep the facility for bugs after Kiffin left for LSU.
That claim came from Grove Collective executive director Walker Jones during an appearance on the Assorted Crackers podcast. Jones said he was so suspicious after Kiffin’s departure that he was literally checking his own office.
“I remember getting on my knees… looking underneath the desk… is there some sort of bug in my office?” Jones recounted.
“Somebody was like, ‘What are you doing?’ I’m like, ‘You just trust me.
You don’t know this guy like I did.'”
A post from Brett McMurphy on August 24, 2026 highlighted Jones’ comments and said Jones described Ole Miss having the FBI sweep the building for “bugs” after Kiffin left for LSU.
Jones also used the interview to question how Kiffin handled the weeks leading into Ole Miss’ College Football Playoff debut. In his view, Kiffin’s actions told a different story than the loyalty he had talked about during his time with the Rebels.
“If Ole Miss is as special to you… as you said it was - which I believe there was some truth to that - then why are you literally going to try to burn it to the ground within minutes of it not being about you anymore?” Jones asked.
“I guess that’s what you do if you’re the LSU head coach. You try to destroy your opponent, your rival.”
The next chapter in that rivalry is already on the schedule. LSU visits Ole Miss on Sept. 19, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. E.T. on ABC.
In Other News...
Former Ole Miss Leader Nears LSU Move After Kiffin Tension
Zxavian Harris is on the verge of a college football return that would send him back into the SEC spotlight, this time with LSU. The former Ole Miss defensive lineman, recently waived by the New Orleans Saints, is expected to land with the Tigers under a new Louisiana ruling that gives certain athletes a fifth year of eligibility, a move that could quickly reshape LSUs defensive front.
For Ole Miss fans, Harriss next stop carries an extra edge because of the history attached to his name and his past tensions with LSU coach Lane Kiffin. LSU has needed help up front after entering the year with limited returning experience and a heavy reliance on freshmen, so Harris would give the Tigers an immediate veteran presence while adding another chapter to a rivalry connection that already has plenty of familiarity. [Read more 🡒]
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Butlers path to Ole Miss was shaped by more than football, with his late friend Corey Adams weighing heavily in his thinking and the coaching connection helping smooth the move. For a program trying to build both production and stability on that side of the ball, his arrival adds another layer to a transfer class that already has the Rebels feeling better about the middle of their defense. [Read more 🡒]
Another Former Ole Miss Contributor Is Adding Fuel To The LSU Fallout
Defensive tackle Zxavian Harris is the latest former Ole Miss contributor to surface in LSUs orbit, a move that adds another layer to the lingering fallout from Lane Kiffins departure. Harris, who was cut by the New Orleans Saints before becoming eligible to return to college football through a court order, had already made his feelings known publicly about Kiffin leaving Oxford, so his next stop naturally carries extra intrigue for Rebels fans watching this rivalry from a distance.
His transfer also places him alongside several other former Ole Miss players who have headed to LSU following the 2025 season, a trend that has given the Tigers an unexpected connection to the Rebels roster churn. For Ole Miss, it is less about one individual switch than the broader symbolism of where some of its former pieces are landing, and Harris move only adds more fuel to a storyline that has not cooled off yet. [Read more 🡒]