Recruiting genius? Lane Kiffin's only follow on Instagram was Arch Manning
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin found a subtle way to recruit the most coveted high school quarterback in recent memory. Internet sleuths noticed Tuesday that Kiffin followed only one person on Instagram: Isidore Newman High School quarterback Arch Manning.
Arch is the son of Cooper Manning. Who is Cooper Manning? He's the son of Archie Manning, and the brother of Peyton and Eli Manning. That's quite the pedigree for Arch, which explains why he's already being heavily recruited by colleges.
It also explains why Kiffin would follow Manning on Instagram.
I don’t throw around the term genius often, but check out the one person @Lane_Kiffin follows on Instagram pic.twitter.com/rbASk2p2Hx
— Kyle Cole (@ColeMissSports) September 21, 2021
Kiffin acknowledged his tactic, retweeting an observation that referenced his Instagram strategy. Kiffin didn't say much else about his only Instagram follow. He'll keep his recruiting game plan close to the vest.
Lane Kiffin followed another player Tuesday night
Once Kiffin's Instagram habits were discovered, he decided to have some fun with his account. By Tuesday night, Kiffin followed two people on Twitter: Manning and current Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral. Perhaps Kiffin felt bad he followed a potential future quarterback and not the one currently on the Ole Miss roster. Kiffin corrected that wrong quickly.
That's a wise decision. After three weeks, Corral is shooting up Heisman boards. He's thrown for 997 yards and nine touchdowns and has also rushed for five scores in just three games.
Whether Corral can maintain his position as a Heisman favorite could be determined soon. Corral and Ole Miss will face off against No. 1 Alabama on Oct 2. With a win in that game, Corral could separate himself from Alabama quarterback Bryce Young in the Heisman race.
Winning a Heisman would be quite the accomplishment for Corral, though being one of Kiffin's Instagram followers is technically the more exclusive club.