With a highly anticipated recruitment just beginning to unfold, rising quarterback prospect Knox Kiffin made it clear this week that he’s looking to carve his own path in the sport of college football – which means that he may not wind up playing for his dad, Lane Kiffin.
While speaking with Rivals’ Adam Gorney this week, Kiffin spoke about the differences between Southern California and Oxford, the benefits of being closer to his dad, and his upcoming 2028 recruitment.
But the big nugget that gained traction online during the interview was what Kiffin said about the potential idea of playing for his dad.
“I’m definitely not going to play for my dad,” Kiffin told Gorney in the Rivals interview. “I want to do my own stuff.”
Kiffin goes on to mention that while he saw the success that Shedeur Sanders had under the tutelage of his father, Deion Sanders, he wants to be driven by the aspect of competition inside the Kiffin family. He told Gorney that, rather than having the narrative of only playing because of his dad, he wants to play against his dad.
“I want to beat my dad,” Kiffin told Gorney. “I want to play against him, not play with him.”
It’s about legacy for the young quarterback prospect, not familiarity.
The 6-foot-2 quarterback prospect from Oxford doesn’t have an official star ranking on 247Sports or Rivals quite yet. The 2028 recruiting cycle still has a while until it’s in the spotlight, after all. But Kiffin has been receiving some initial offers, according to the sites, and does have some programs that have reportedly caught his attention, such as Oregon, Florida, LSU, and Texas.
Kiffin revealed on social media Sunday that he’ll be in Baton Rouge this weekend to see the Tigers’ home game against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
I will be in Baton Rouge on Saturday! @_kbolden @CoachJoeSloan @LSUFBrecruiting pic.twitter.com/gyIMqQdIln
— Knox Kiffin (@KnoxKiffinQB) October 5, 2025
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Lane Kiffin is in his sixth season with the Rebels in Oxford. He’s got Ole Miss out to a 5-0 start to begin the season and has his team at the No. 4 position in the AP Rankings, which is the highest spot among all SEC programs. The Rebels are 3-0 to begin the SEC slate with wins over Kentucky, Arkansas, and LSU.
Kiffin coached the Tennessee Volunteers during the 2009 season, leading the team to a 7-6 overall record. He then left Knoxville for a job with Southern California that became one of the most talked-about stories of its era in the sport.
While Knox Kiffin may not end up playing for his dad down the line, he has still been using his father as a sounding board for all things football as he navigates his career at Oxford High School. He told Gorney in the interview that it has been “really big” to be able to go to all the Ole Miss games and have his dad attend his own high school football games since the move from Southern Cal to Mississippi.
Things could change down the road, and Knox Kiffin could wind up playing for his father. But, for now, it sounds like he’s ready to carve his own path and bring some competition to the Kiffin family.
For more on what class of 2028 quarterback prospect Knox Kiffin said about his father and his upcoming recruitment, check out Adam Gorney’s interview for Rivals here.
