Kewan Lacy Brings Extra Heat To Ole Miss' Missouri Showdown

As Mizzou gears up for a clash with Ole Miss, running back Jamal Roberts reflects on his mentoring bond with standout opponent and former teammate Kewan Lacy.

Mizzou’s trip to Ole Miss in Week 7 comes with a familiar face waiting on the other sideline.

When the No. 13 Tigers head to Oxford to face the No.

9 Rebels, they’ll also run into former Missouri running back Kewan Lacy, who spent his freshman season in Columbia in 2024 before transferring. Since then, Lacy has turned into one of the country’s most productive backs, piling up 1,744 total yards and 24 touchdowns on a nation-leading 335 touches last season.

That history still means something inside the Missouri locker room, especially for Jamal Roberts. The Tigers’ leading rusher said Tuesday that he and Lacy remain in contact and that their relationship goes back to Lacy’s first days with the program.

“When he first got here, I took him under my wing, just like I do anybody in the running backs room,” Roberts said, per Missouri beat reporter Nathalie Jones. “Just showing him the way when he got here as a freshman… Very talented kid.

I love the guy, and we still talk to this day… He likes to compete a lot. So, there’s going to be a lot of competing on the field this Saturday with him and me.”

Roberts was a redshirt freshman in 2024, the same season Lacy arrived at Missouri. The two split work in the backfield behind upperclassmen Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll, learning the college game while sharing carries as rotational pieces.

Now the roles look very different. Roberts and Lacy have both climbed into the upper tier of SEC running backs, with Roberts currently leading the conference in rushing yards and Lacy still serving as a dangerous weapon for Ole Miss. This weekend, that connection turns into a matchup.

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