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This isn’t that difficult to decipher. And certainly not a complex, misunderstood personality flaw.
Lane Kiffinis a chameleon. And I say that with all love, and in the purest sense of the word.
Headapts to his environment.
He changes colors — or in this case, personalities — to fit his surroundings. There are times when it works, and times when you get sheer stupidity.
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LANE KIFFIN:Ole Miss fans hate him at 'way different level' than Vols did
Case in point:the Vanity Fair interview, and the bizarre, ugly extension of his bitterness towardOle Miss.
The Chameleon knew hoity-toity Vanity Fair magazine was interested in profiling one of the most unique characters in all of sports. Knew Vanity Fair is a popular culture magazine that typically writes profile pieces on fashion or politics or people you just can’t ignore.
Or in this case, Kiffin.
So he threw on his jeans and white t-shirt and sat for a photo shoot in Tiger Stadium, a forlorn look on his face, right arm crossed over left side. A man and his kingdom.
Don’t believe it? TheLSU football X accountposted a picture of the photo shoot, and trumpeted the future profile.
Then Chris Smith, one of the best writers of our generation, spent a couple days with Kiffin, and The Chameleon opened up. Maybe a bit too much, or maybe exactly what he wanted because, you know, it is Vanity Fair and it is seen by the high rollers in New York City and Paris and Milan and Hong Kong.
So The Chameleon fit in, and brought up — without Smith asking, according to hisinterview on the "Paul Finebaum Show" — segregation in the South, and how it impacted recruiting at Ole Miss.
Kiffin told Vanity Fair when he was coaching at Ole Miss, top recruits would tell him, “'We really like you, but my grandparents aren’t letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi.' That doesn’t come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Parents were sitting here this weekend saying the campus’ diversity feels so great. ‘It feels like there’s no segregation, And we want that for our kid because that’s the real world.’”
Again, Smith didn’t ask Kiffin specifically, Kiffin offered it up.
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“I wish it was some genius question I had asked him,” Smith told Finebaum. “But he volunteered the idea about grandparents not letting their kid go to Oxford, Miss.”
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The Chameleon, everyone, adapted to his environment and gave Vanity Fair what it wanted to hear.
Just like he did years ago as the coach at Tennessee, when he got into verbal spats with Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier. One was the coach for Tennessee’s biggest rival (Florida), and one was the guy Vols fans hated more than just about anything (Spurrier). Kiffin then left after one season, with burned bridges and 14 NCAA secondary violations in his wake.
The Chameleon adapted at USC, too, when he became the hip coach who did the cool things (just like his mentor Pete Carroll), but couldn’t pull it off on the field because the program was saddled with 30 lost scholarships from NCAA violations earned by the previous staff.
A couple years later, The Chameleon adapted at Alabama as offensive coordinator, when he stood in the shadows as the good soldier and took constant ass-chewings from legendary Tide coach Nick Saban. And made jokes about it.
After a brief stop at FAU, The Chameleon arrived at Ole Miss, where he started out as a social media ball of fire to build interest in the program — “Come to the ‘Sip” — but eventually settled into posting bible verses and motivation quotes. Had everyone believing he had grownboth personally and professionally,and had found his wheelhouse.
Then he decided to leave Ole Miss, and when Ole Miss wouldn’t allow him to coach a national championship-ready team in the College Football Playoff, he held onto that bitterness — and it followed him all the way to Baton Rouge.
Then Vanity Fair came calling, and don’t kid yourself, Kiffin knew exactly what he was doing. He gets hundreds of interview requests every month, the fantastic publicity department at LSU sifting through what works and what won’t — and then offering up advice.
Ultimately, it’s Kiffin’s decision. He bit on Vanity Fair like one of those gators in the swamps below I-10 — and saw it for what it was worth.
Be the pop culture star, and dig Ole Miss at the same time. He accomplished both, and then turned chameleon to complete this wicked game.
He issuedan apology, becoming who he should be, what he should do, once again.
The Chameleon always adapts.
Matt Hayesis the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at@MattHayesCFB.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Vanity Fair met Lane Kiffin. Ole Miss paid the price
Patrick Duffyis best known to fans for his career-altering role as Bobby Ewing onDallas, but did you know that he also scored a huge hit single overseas?
The actor teamed with French pop superstar Mireille Mathieu in 1983 for a duet titled “Together We’re Strong.”
Duffy’s vocal performance on the track alternated between spoken word and singing, revealing the fact that while he’s a singer with limited range and power, his basic singing voice is relatively pleasing.
The song was a smash hit in multiple countries. It reached No. 5 in France, No. 4 in Belgium, and No. 2 in both the Netherlands and Finland.
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Duffy played Bobby Ewing on the iconic dramaDallasduring the show’s run from 1978-1991.
READ MORE:Patrick Duffy Sells Breathtaking Oregon Estate
Before that, he starred onThe Man From Atlantis, and he’s continued his acting career in the decades sinceDallaswent off the air.
Duffy reprised the role of Bobby Ewing in a 2012 reboot of the show, as well as several TV movies.
He’s also landed major roles onStep by StepandThe Bold and the Beautiful.
His wife of more than 40 years, ballet dancer Carlyn Rosser, died in 2017 after battling cancer, and in 2020, Duffy began anunexpected new relationshipwithHappy Daysstar Linda Purl.
Purl played Richie Cunningham’s girlfriend Gloria on Happy Days in a small appearance in 1974, then returned to the show from 1982-1983 in the featured role of Fonzie’s girlfriend, Ashley Pfister.
(Editor's note: This is the latest edition of "Extra Points," the newsletter providing additional news, analysis and opinions on all things high school recruiting in the state of Florida.You can sign up to receive this newsletter in your email inboxweekly.)
Spring is time to travel in the recruiting world, and reporters are no different.
USA TODAY's Florida Network has been busy this spring, travelling the state to check in with premier recruits and look for under-the-radar prospects.
In this week's Extra Points, we're dumping the notebook halfway through the spring. There are still plenty of schools on the list to check in with, and more intel will come pouring in as the pressure increases on the state's elite recruits.
Here's where we've been and what we're hearing so far this spring.
Jennings, who committed to Florida on April 25, is the marquee name at Dillard but far from the only elite recruit suiting up for the Panthers.
Jennings (No. 61)namedthe Gatorsfrom an offer list that includes nearly 40 schools. He confirmed with USA TODAY that he as all but officially shut down his recruitment after using all five available official visits. Ever sinceJon Sumrall and his new staff got to Gainesville, we haven't stopped hearing about how unique this new regime is. Jennings reinforced the point, saying that the staff is what got the Gators over the hump against other finalists like Florida State, Auburn and Maryland.
"Coach Sumrall and (WRs coach Marcus) Davis were two key factors in my commitment," he told us at a spring practice. "As soon as I met (Sumrall), he was off the charts — dapping me up and giving me a hug. Even when I committed over the phone he was just really excited..."
Jennings, a 6-foot speedster, is WR1 within a group that includes two 6-4 rising senior pass catchers. Isaiah Monestime and Josh Sylvain both have seen their respective recruitments gain steam this spring. Colorado and Kentucky are among the programs that have extended offers to both in recent weeks.
After transferring in from Piper with zero Division I offers, Monestime has been offered by five different programs in the last two months. Sylvain, a returning senior, reports 10 offers from the likes of Tulane, USF and Cal. Expect the offer count to rise for both as more college coaches stop by Dillard to do their due diligence.
The secondary is also loaded, headlined by Penn State commit Semajay Robinson (No. 79). Robinson confirmed with us that he has not shut down his recruitment and two other programs are nearing visits. Louisville and Virginia are the teams to watch for the 6-3 cornerback.
Louisvillehas made recruiting Florida a priority under Jeff Brohm, and they've already landed three Top 100 commits this cycle. They hope to add another in Robinson.
"They just know what they want, there's a lot of Florida guys there," he said. "And I feel like if I wasn't home at Penn State, that'd be another place I could call home."
It won't be an easy flip, as Robinson committed back in March after associate head coach and CBs coach Terry Smith closed the deal for the Nittany Lions. The relationship with his verbal pledge remains strong midway through the spring.
"I love (the staff), coach Terry is the G.O.A.T," he said, "I love him. He's the reason I even committed there. And Penn State culture is very big, and I want to be a part of that. And (head coach Matt) Campbell, I love him to death."
Another senior to watch on the defensive side of the ball is Tedrick Oatman, a versatile athlete that roams from the nickel to linebacker that reports offers from the likes of Boston College, UConn, Cal and Georgia State.
The Cougars have Davin Davidson running the show again this year and are primed for a title defense season with theNo. 1 signal caller in the stateat the helm.
The 6-7 Davidson (No. 17) has had a breakout offseason unlike any other, and committed to Florida after a host of offers came rushing in. Now an Elite 11 finalist with a verbal commitment made, Davidson committed quickly after the offers came in order to avoid distractions and visits during the summer and fall. Expect his pledge to the Gators to hold firm until signing day.
Kaleb Exume (No. 56)transfers in from Parrish, and has one of the more impressive tapes in the state. The 6-2, 310-pound defensive tackle played both ways at Parrish, and is expected to do the same for the Cougars.He committed to Louisville on April 19over Indiana, Virginia Tech and Kansas.
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Connail Jackson (No. 69) committed to UCF on May 2 over North Carolina and Virginia Tech. The Knights were early on Jackson, and started their recruitment his sophomore year — a head start that Jackson says helped seal the deal. They land a commitment from him after a junior campaign that saw him rush for 2,452 yards and 39 touchdowns on 217 touches.
Miami, Florida State, Auburn and more were in attendance for a spring practice on April 5 at American Heritage, which sees a revolving door of coaches come by to evaluate talent regularly.
The south Florida powerhouse and defending back-to-back state champs have a new marquee recruit in at quarterback after Dia Bell's (Texas signee) graduation. Rising junior phenom Neimann Lawrence arrived from Miami Northwestern, and is among the most touted signal callers in the 2028 class.
Texas, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Michigan and Miami are leaders in his recruitment at this stage, and he visited all five this spring. Lawrence has long been on the 'Canes board, and they've been recruiting him since he was in eighth grade.One of Miami's most successful recruiters, offensive line coach Alex Mirabal, was at practice and made sure to check in with Lawrence (as well as the trenches).
Lawrence will have big targets this year. 6-5 Kentucky commit Trae Proctor (No. 35) will start practicing with the team as soon as his transfer from Southridge becomes official, and 6-6 rising junior Robert Outler has been gaining serious steam on the trail — reeling in offers from Missouri and UCF this offseason. Rising senior Michael Stringer (6-0, 190 pounds) is unranked by major recruiting services, but has picked up five offers in the last week from the likes of East Carolina, Cornell and Western Kentucky.
The other side of the ball has elite prospects as well.CB Amare Nugent (No. 12) is a Florida commitand the No. 3 corner in the state, and defensive lineman Micah price reports 14 offers, including Missouri, Purdue and Kentucky this offseason.
Rising junior quarterback Brady Quinn is another quarterback that is being pursued heavily, and has had a busy spring taking visits. Indiana, Notre Dame, Alabama, Clemson, Miami, Kentucky and Purdue were the programs that hosted the 6-1 composite 3-star.
Quinn will have plenty of elite targets in his first year with the Lions, including LSU WR commit Ah'Mari Stevens (No. 41). Stevens held a longtime commitment to Miami before he and the 'Canes mutually agreed to part ways shortly after an official visit to LSU. He named the Tigers one day after his visit to Baton Rouge.
Another big name in the receiver's group is is tight end Peter Pierre, who enters his junior campaign at 6-4, 220 pounds. Pierre reports over 30 offers, and added Alabama, West Virginia, and Mississippi State to the list last week. Rising junior Armani Strong has gained momentum this spring, and added USC and Virginia Tech to an offer list that already includes Ole Miss, Notre Dame, and Florida State.
The Lions also have Amos Bradford at running back, a 6-0, 170-pound 3-star that decommitted from Toledo in February before committing to Purdue this spring.
The Lions have some big names in the secondary, including Notre Dame safety commit John Ford III and Ohio State safety commit Angelo Smith — the younger brother of phenomBuckeye receiver Jeremiah Smith, who was at Chaminade's practice.
Tyree Mannings Jr. is one of the best receivers in the nation, and coaches from all over the country have stopped by The Island to check in. The rising junior has added offers from USC, Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia Tech this spring, and is already offered by Florida's Big 3 along with Georgia, LSU, Nebraska, and others.
Transferring in from IMG is rising junior Noah Patton, who has had limited meaningful snaps at the varsity level but has all the tools to take Venice's offense to the next level. He reports offers from Arkansas, Syracuse, Kentucky and others. Florida QB coach Joe Craddock stopped by a Venice practice to do his due diligence on the 6-3, 190 pound signal caller.
Running back Dorien Jones (No. 85) has added North Carolina, Georgia Tech and FIU to his offer sheet this spring. Jones took a visit to Chapel Hill already, and says the tar Heels are among his leaders. Georgia Tech, which extended an offer in late April, has already locked in a summertime visit. USF is working hard on the 5-11, 190-pound back and the Bulls are also among his leaders. Expect a summer commitment from Jones.
While the big names are on the offensive side of the ball, the defense has long been a strong point for Venice and players on that side of the ball are seeing their recruitment speed up. Defensive back Ira Dale has earned offers from Florida Atlantic and Western Kentucky this offseason. Brothers Felly and Desi Kmit are two well-built linebackers in the class of 2028 that transferred in from Michigan, and will almost certainly reel in some big-time offers before next year's signing day.
It will be interesting so how colleges approach Eau Gallie rising senior quarterback Joseph Allen. Allen was being recruited by Power 4 programs before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the 2025 season opener. Coastal Carolina is a program to keep a close eye on with Allen moving forward.
Eau Gallie 6-5, 215-pound rising junior tight end Troy Silberzahn is seeing his recruitment take off this spring. He's a big body with soft hands and enough speed to separate from linebackers and safeties. Wisconsin, Maryland, Indiana, UCF, Florida State and North Carolina are among the schools to offer early this spring.
Cardinal Gibbons rising junior edge rusher/tight end Ty Kirkpatrick has been taking plenty of reps at linebacker this spring. The 6-2 ½, 235-pounder led the Crusaders with six sacks in 2025. West Virginia, USF, SMU and North Carolina all offered in the past week.
Rutgers has been hot on the trail of Cardinal Gibbons rising senior edge rusher Michael Loudort. The 6-4, 240-pounder's offers also include Florida State, Georgia Tech, Nebraska and Pitt.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers:Florida H.S. football recruiting: What to know for spring practices
This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke with Team USA Weightlifter Aaron Williams.
In his interview with Easton Jr., Williams discusses his recent offseason workout withKansas City Chiefslinebacker Jack Cochrane at USA Weightlifting's National Team Camp at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He also reflected on meeting the Chiefs' head strength and conditioning coach/director of sports science, Ryan Reynolds, and his favorite NFL team.
"Ryan (Reynolds) was awesome. He was there, of course, and he had a blast. He was willing to let us give him some pointers here and there. " He's also very receptive," said Williams. "It shows that whenever you have a successful program, everyone tends to take in information rather than block it out and go with what they know." So it was really cool to see, also at the very high level of the NFL, that even your strength coaches are willing to take in information and then maybe even use it later on down the road for other athletes as well."
Reynolds watched Cochrane during his weightlifting workout, and is entering his 11th NFL season with the Chiefs. Williams opened up about his love for football growing up, including his favorite NFL team.
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"It's going to sound a little cheesy, but I grew up in Germany, and the only reason that I actually wanted to play football is because my dad played football, so he would be the reason that I really wanted to play football, and then he's a Dallas Cowboys fan," said Williams, "I was a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, so I don't know where we went wrong. He thought he was raising a Cowboys fan, but that was my favorite team to watch whenever I was playing football."
The USA Weightlifting Athlete Identification & Recruitment Initiative is not grassroots development and is not intended for mass participation. Its purpose is to support the high-performance pipeline by identifying outlier athletes—often nearing the end of high school or collegiate eligibility—who may be capable of transitioning into weightlifting and becoming difference-makers at the highest level of the sport.
For more information, visit the USA WeightliftingAthlete Identification & Recruitment Initiativeand learn more about Williams on hisWeightlifting profile.
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire:Weightlifter Aaron Williams reflects on meeting with Chiefs Coach
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