Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin made sure that everyone knew he was in Tuscaloosa last week, using social media to post three different photos of the city and Alabama's campus, including the statue of recently retired Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.

Had he done that a week earlier, before Alabama had settled on Kalen DeBoer as Saban's successor, he would have set off alarm bells within the Ole Miss fanbase. Instead, Rebels fans celebrated because they knew what the photos meant: Kiffin was on the hunt for transfers.

Kiffin posted the pictures on Jan. 17 and 18. Sure enough, Ole Miss received a commitment from Trey Amos, an Alabama corner transfer, on Jan. 19.

On many occasions this offseason, and in previous offseasons, Kiffin has made little attempt to conceal where he's traveling and who he's recruiting.

Though he hasn't explained his reasons for this practice in particular, social media has long been an important aspect of Kiffin's recruiting efforts. He and Ole Miss have built a football program that understands and seeks to exploit its value.

"It really does (matter)," defensive coordinator Pete Golding said last month. "That was a transition for all of us. I mean, having a social media platform be part of a decision. Even for guys who come back. They're like, 'Hey, I wanna be more involved. I want to increase my brand.' "

As of Monday, Ole Miss had 15 transfer portal commitments. How many of them can be connected to one of Kiffin's social media posts?

Lane Kiffin's tweet on day the transfer portal opened

The transfer portal opened for business on Dec. 4.

That day, Kiffin posted a photo in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Four days later, Arkansas linebacker Chris Paul Jr. announced his commitment to Ole Miss.

Just like that, the Rebels were off and running in the portal.

Kiffin's social media fingers were particularly active in December, when Ole Miss made a number of portal splashes.

On Dec. 6, Kiffin posted a photo of a South Carolina golf cart. Eleven days later, Juice Wells, a former All-SEC wideout with the Gamecocks, had pledged to the Rebels.

The next day, Kiffin posted a photo of a Texas A&M branded jet. Aggies transfer defensive lineman Walter Nolen joined the Ole Miss class on Christmas Eve.

Kiffin shared a picture of Gainesville, Florida, on Dec. 8. All-SEC edge rusher and former Gator Princely Umanmielen announced his Ole Miss commitment a week later.

There were misses, too. Kiffin uploaded several photos of a trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, on the week of Dec. 13. Former Vols Tamarion McDonald and Tyler Baron committed to the Rebels before later flipping their commitments to Louisville.

These Lane Kiffin Twitter posts aren't so obvious

Relating to Kiffin's photo of the Texas A&M jet, Nolen is not the only former Aggie that the Rebels have landed.

Wideout Devin Price, who left Texas A&M to play for FAU last season, lists College Station as his hometown. He announced his transfer to Ole Miss on Dec. 23.

On Dec. 11, while working to flip Texas A&M quarterback commit AJ Maddox, Kiffin posted a photo of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. That's where Maddox, who ultimately signed with the Rebels, is from.

It's also the home of Southern Miss. Golden Eagles lineman Gerquan Scott committed to the Rebels a day later. Two sharks, one rod, perhaps?

There was also Kiffin's seemingly innocuous post on Dec. 6, showing a photo of an airplane outside a nondescript private airport.

That airport, it turns out, is in Bloomington, Indiana, home of the Hoosiers.

Five days later, Indiana safety Louis Moore announced his commitment to the Rebels.

Not all Ole Miss transfer portal additions follow a Lane Kiffin tweet

More recently, Kiffin has stopped leaving as many hints – or, maybe, taking as many visits.

North Carolina offensive lineman Diego Pounds, Virginia Tech tight end Dae'Quan Wright and South Alabama defensive back Yam Banks each seemed to commit without Kiffin putting down a digital map pin.

He was near Michigan defensive back Amorion Walker's hometown in Louisiana in December, but that was a month before Walker even entered the portal. Likewise, Kiffin posted a photo of an LSU Tiger on Dec. 5, but Tigers running back Logan Diggs wasn't yet on the board.

Kiffin doesn't seem to have been near Norman, Oklahoma, to pursue former Sooners safety Key Lawrence, nor has he posted any recent trips to Nashville, where Lawrence is from.

Finally, there's one transfer that didn't require any traveling – or, it seems, tweeting. Tennessee defensive back Brandon Turnage is from Oxford.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How Lane Kiffin built Ole Miss football portal class via social media