Bold claim: Charlie Weis Jr. calling plays for Ole Miss in the CFP is a major win for the Rebels. That’s the takeaway Urban Meyer highlighted on air, and it’s easy to see why this development has fans buzzing. Here’s what’s happening, why it matters, and what it could mean for Ole Miss’s playoff run.
Ole Miss announced on Tuesday that offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. will return to the Rebels to call plays during the College Football Playoff run. Weis traveled with several Ole Miss coaches to Baton Rouge, including former head coach Lane Kiffin, as the plan is for Weis to take over LSU’s potential offensive coordination in the near term. For now, though, the immediate focus is on Ole Miss’s playoff push and Weis’s role on the Oxford sideline.
Weis’s professional history with Kiffin runs deep. The two first worked together at Alabama in the 2015 and 2016 seasons, then reconnected at FAU after a one-year separation. In 2020, Weis moved on to become USF’s offensive coordinator. The 2022 decision to pair Weis with Kiffin at Ole Miss solidified their collaboration, and it appears the plan is for their partnership to continue elsewhere, potentially at LSU, in the future.
During a recent episode of The Triple Option podcast, Urban Meyer described the move as a “big positive” for Ole Miss. He admitted he hadn’t known Weis Jr. would be calling plays in the playoff and reflected on how, in a week where head coaches can be overvalued, having a strong play-caller matters more on the field than a single figure in the box. Meyer suggested that once the ball is in play, the head coach’s job is largely to manage the game while the coordinators drive the plan.
Ole Miss has benefited from Weis Jr.’s play-calling this season. The team currently leads the SEC in yards per game (498.1 yards) and sits third in points per game (37.3). Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has emerged as one of the nation’s top signal-callers, compiling 3,016 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and only three interceptions.
Kiffin issued a public statement confirming that after conversations with LSU, Weis would return to Ole Miss to coach the team through the playoffs. He emphasized his belief in the Rebels’ players, noting they deserve the best possible chance at success, and he expressed confidence in Weis’s return as a boost for Ole Miss’s playoff chances. He also spoke with enthusiasm about coaching what he called the greatest Ole Miss team in history.
Ole Miss will not play in the SEC Championship this weekend, as they’ll wait for Sunday’s Selection Show to determine their CFP fate. The Rebels are positioned to host the first-ever CFP game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, pending selection.
Would you agree that having Weis Jr. back on the sideline changes the dynamic for Ole Miss, or do you think the overall coaching strategy is more important than the person calling plays? Share your thoughts in the comments.
