Florida football fired Billy Napier on October 19. Florida has a list of candidates for the job, but the top name on the list was Lane Kiffin, the current Ole Miss head coach. It is now being reported that the Gators may be out of the Kiffin sweepstakes.

According to Zach Abolverdi of Gators Online, who is also an adjunct professor at the University of Florida, the university no longer expects to land the head coach and is closing in on other targets. Reports are that Kiffin's communication has been erratic, and his behavior has led the university to believe that he is more interested in other opportunities.

Kiffin is expected to make a decision by Saturday, after the Rebels face Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Friday afternoon. It has long been expected that the decision is between staying at Ole Miss or moving to LSU or Florida. Although other college football insiders have suggested other landing options, including Kiffin going to the Tennessee Titans or even Alabama.

While all eyes will be on Kiffin during the game with Mississippi State, some reporters have attempted to read tea leaves on his direction, including analyzing the picture he posted of Thanksgiving dinner.

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The analysis of the picture noted things such as the folding table, a person wearing an Ole Miss shirt, the lack of decorations on the tree, and the sign that says, “Home is where football takes us.” Regardless, there seems to be no concrete evidence of what the coach will do next.

In the meantime, Florida is focusing their head coaching search elsewhere. Clark Lea was on the radar, but an extension with Vanderbilt has ended those hopes. Meanwhile, multiple other sitting head coaches are being mentioned as potential head coaches for the Gators. This includes Jedd Fisch of Washington, who is a Florida alumnus, Jon Sumrall of Tulane, and Brent Key of Georgia Tech.

Florida is set to finish their season on Saturday, as it hosts rival Florida State. The Gators are out of bowl contention, but the chance to make sure the Seminoles do not make a bowl is sure to excite the fan base.