“Lane Kiffin Didn’t Come”: Marcel Reed Reveals Big Reason Behind Leaving Ole Miss for Texas A&M

Marcel Reed led Texas A&M to its first-ever CFP appearance last season, but the Aggies weren’t his first choice to start his collegiate career. He chose another SEC team, Ole Miss, for a reason. But he didn’t stay long and dropped out within nearly 7 months. Now, ahead of kicking off his third season with the Aggies, the QB revealed the “why” behind leaving Lane Kiffin’s former team.

“Things changed with Lane Kiffin going through, I guess, maybe transitioning to another school,” said Reed during his June 17 appearance on The Turf when asked about the reason behind his Ole Miss decommitment. “And we were just trying to see if things were going to look the same if he were to leave and go to, I think it was Auburn at the time, which was trying to offer him a job. And there was speculation that he was going to go. We weren’t getting the answers that we really wanted.”

Reed committed to Ole Miss in April 2022. Although he didn’t lock his recruitment, there was no immediate chance of a flip. However, rumors about Lane Kiffin leaving the Rebels changed the QB’s mindset, and the uncertainty about the Rebels’ head coaching position led Reed to decommit in December.

“I had other coaches recruiting me at the time once I decommitted; they were coming on home visits. Lane [Kiffin] didn’t come on the home visit. I don’t know if he had something to do,” added the standout Texas A&M QB. “But there were coaches that came from other schools that had head coaches, and they came and visited me. So, just with that, I thought it was a respect thing, and I really liked A&M when I went. A&M was a top school for me.”

If Lane Kiffin showed interest in Reed, there was a chance the Rebels secured this QB for the second time. While the reason for his decommitment was a possibility of a head coaching change, Kiffin stayed in Oxford until the conclusion of the 2025 regular season. Even Marcel Reed is high on Ole Miss while recalling his commitment to the school.

“I committed to Ole Miss going into my junior year, and I really loved the place. It was cool,” said Reed. “And there were a bunch of people I knew who had already gone there. A bunch of people who talk highly about Ole Miss, and they were a good football team at the time. Had some great players come out of there. It wasn’t too far from home, and I was up there a bunch of weekends watching games and loved the environment of what college football looked like in Oxford.”

Under Kiffin, Ole Miss didn’t win a national title, but its culture and production of elite talent were enough to impress Marcel Reed. However, the QB ultimately chose the Aggies, considering their interest. The Then-head coach Jimbo Fisher traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to meet the QB. Following that, Marcel Reed visited and decided to pledge to A&M, but the process wasn’t smooth.

“They [Texas A&M] had a commitment early on, and he decommitted, so that kind of opened up my opportunity to go visit the school. I went there, and I thought it was amazing.”

What sealed the final deal for Marcel Reed

Coming out of Montgomery Bell Academy, Reed was a 4-star prospect and had offers from many programs even after his Ole Miss decommitment. But he finally chose Texas A&M for his family..

“We had connections in Texas. My dad’s whole side of the family is in Texas. My grandma, who’s the last grandparent standing, who I’m named after, lives in Texas, and she’s able to come watch me play. So, I thought things like that were really important when it came down to my decision at the end of the recruitment process,” said Reed during his June 17 appearance on The Turf.

“I’m really happy with the decision I made. I’ve had a lot of success at the school I’m at and made a lot of great friends and teammates,” added Reed.

He joined the Aggies in 2024 but got the chance to start in 2025. Last season, as a starter, the signal-caller led Texas A&M to an 11-2 record.

The post “Lane Kiffin Didn’t Come”: Marcel Reed Reveals Big Reason Behind Leaving Ole Miss for Texas A&M appeared first on EssentiallySports.