Ole Miss football is picking up a solid player from the transfer portal. The Rebels are getting a commitment from the top offensive lineman in the portal, per 247 Sports. That lineman is Arkansas transfer Patrick Kutas, who plays tackle.

Kutas started for the Razorbacks the last two seasons. He visited Ole Miss in the last week, and is a huge get for coach Lane Kiffin. The Rebels are working the portal to find the right combination of guys to make a College Football Playoff appearance.

Ole Miss football missed the CFP this season, despite finishing the regular season with a 9-3 record. The Rebels lost a heartbreaking game to Kentucky, which hurt their chances to grab a CFP berth. Kentucky finished the year with a 4-8 record.

The loss of Kutas also hurts Arkansas. The Razorbacks are bringing back head coach Sam Pittman for another season, despite a lack of continued success in Fayetteville. Arkansas football finished the regular season with a 6-6 record.

Ole Miss is still looking for its first CFP appearance under Lane Kiffin

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) runs the ball during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Rebels had high expectations this season, as Kiffin entered the year ranked and fans wanting a trip to the CFP. Ole Miss didn't end up meeting those goals. The Rebels lost to LSU and Florida, as well as lowly Kentucky.

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That Kentucky defeat really left a sour taste in the mouths of fans. Ole Miss had some spectacular offensive performances, and got a big conference win in the SEC over Georgia. Quarterback Jaxson Dart had a spectacular year, throwing for 3,875 yards and 25 touchdowns. Dart threw just six interceptions on the season.

The Rebels do have a consolation prize, despite missing out on the CFP. The team plays in the Gator Bowl on January 2, against Duke. The Blue Devils are also dealing with some transfer portal issues, as quarterback Maalik Murphy announced he won't play in the game.

That announcement caused Ole Miss coach Kiffin to bemoan how the portal affects bowl preparations. Duke football coach Manny Diaz also commented about how the portal presents frustrations for coaches.

“Like Manny said, we just try to make the best of the situations,” Kiffin said, per Sports Illustrated. “It really is a really dumb system to think about what we're talking about, a quarterback going in the portal. Just think about what we're talking about; the season's not over yet, and there's a free agency window open.

“Just think of the NFL getting ready for the AFC and NFC playoffs, and players are in free agency already. It's a really poor system, but we just really try to manage the best we can through it, and hopefully someday it will get fixed.”

Ole Miss is certainly not bemoaning the addition of Kutas, though.