Ole Miss Football: All aboard the Matt Corral Heisman Trophy hype train

Lane Kiffin had a great effect on Matt Corral in his first season as Ole Miss football’s head coach and that could translate to Heisman hype in 2021.

If you’re reading this, you’ve officially chosen to be part of the Matt Corral Heisman hype train which is set to leave the station and tour SEC country in 2021.

After a somewhat disappointing start to his career in which he split time with John Rhys Plumlee, Corral was looking like one of those blue-chip busts that every major program has every now and then. And then Matt Luke and Ole Miss parted ways, opening the door for Lane Kiffin.

That was music to Corral’s ears as he was struggling under Luke and Kiffin had been known as a bit of a quarterback whisperer. It was the fresh start he needed.

It was clear from the get-go that the change in coaches revitalized Corral’s college career and gave him a second wind. He faced the fifth-ranked Florida Gators and didn’t shy away, passing for 395 yards and three touchdowns as the Rebels put up more of a fight than people had expected. And he rushed for 50 yards, shutting down the talks of Rhys Plumlee being the only “dual-threat” option.

Corral only built on that performance, putting together a nice redshirt sophomore season with 3,337 yards and 29 passing touchdowns which were both good for seventh in the country.

And you have to realize this was the first season with him as a full-time starter under a new head coach with an entirely new playbook and system. And he flourished. Just imagine what he can do with another year of experience and a whole offseason to master the playbook and develop a connection with new receivers and some solid tight ends.

Corral is going to get some offseason Heisman hype but just remember we were here first. He may not win it or even finish as a top-10 finalist, but he definitely deserves some recognition.