Ole Miss spent the offseason rebuilding fast after Lane Kiffin’s sudden departure for LSU, and Pete Golding wasted little time putting his stamp on the program. The defense, in particular, got a major overhaul, but the Rebels also made sure some important pieces stayed put in Oxford.
Among the returnees are Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy, and Will Echoles, a group that gives Golding a strong foundation in his first year running the show. The expectations are already high, and if Ole Miss is going to hit them, the players who came back will have to do more than simply fill spots. One of the most interesting names in that group is defensive end Kam Franklin.
Franklin is part of a defensive line that looks like the heart of this team. Echoles anchors the middle, and the Rebels added more help through the portal with Jonathan Maldonado, Michai Boireau, and Blake Purchase. But Franklin may be the piece that helps everything click.
As a sophomore, he piled up 69 total tackles, good for fourth on the team, and he tied for second with five sacks. That was a strong season by any standard, but the question now is whether he can take another leap and double that output in 2026.
That might sound aggressive, but Franklin has the kind of support around him to make it possible. Alongside Echoles and Suntarine Perkins, he forms the core of the defense, and the return of defensive line coach Randall Joyner only adds to the sense that this group can keep growing.
Franklin was direct about what Joyner means to him, saying, "Everything he told me in recruitment, he'll tell me the same thing now," Franklin said. "It's just that he plays a huge role in my development."
Joyner will now try to push Franklin to his full ceiling in what will be his third season with the Rebels. Franklin had plenty of options, but he stayed in Oxford, and that kind of continuity stands out in a college football world where change is constant.
Most of the attention around Ole Miss will land on Golding and Chambliss, and that makes sense. They’re the headliners. But Franklin is the kind of player who can shape what this defense becomes, and by the end of the season, more people may know his name than they do right now.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Faces A New Ole Miss Debate Over Trinidad Chambliss
Trinidad Chambliss went from injury replacement to the face of Ole Miss football in 2025, taking over after Austin Simmons went down and helping push the Rebels to a program-record 13 wins while coming close to reaching the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. His rise has only sharpened the conversation around what it all means for Lane Kiffins reputation, especially after one SEC coach suggested Chamblisss breakout had more to do with the quarterback himself than with the head coach drawing the plays.
Chambliss is back for a final season after winning a court battle to return, and hell do so under Pete Golding as Ole Miss opens 2026 against Louisville with expectations that will be hard to miss. The quarterback is already being talked about as a Heisman Trophy contender, which only adds another layer to the debate in Oxford: whether Kiffins offense helped create the moment, or whether Chambliss was the kind of player who could have turned heads anywhere. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Golding Sees An Early Sign Ole Miss Defense Is Advancing Fast
Pete Golding did not need much time to see why Ole Miss walked into fall camp feeling ahead of schedule on defense. The Rebels carried over continuity from spring and summer workouts, and the return of key pieces like Edwin Joseph and Jordan Renaud gave the staff a familiar base to build on. Golding also pointed to the offseason development structure and the way new offensive coordinator John David Baker helped make the transition smoother, with players already showing a stronger grasp of the playbook than a typical camp opener might suggest.
For a defense trying to take a step forward, that kind of early comfort matters because the real test comes when the tempo rises and mistakes stop being theoretical. Golding believes the groups versatility should help it handle adversity, but fall camp is where that confidence gets stress-tested against pressure, alignment checks and the kind of mental load that can expose whether a unit is truly ahead of the curve. [Read more 🡒]
John David Baker Faces Ole Miss Offense Debate Fans Cant Ignore
Ole Miss comes into the season with real offensive standards attached to it after last years group finished third in the SEC in points per game and led the league in passing and total yards. John David Baker now inherits that machine as offensive coordinator, and the job is less about starting from scratch than finding a way to keep the production humming while fitting the attack more cleanly with what the defense needs behind it.
The balancing act is what makes Bakers first turn so interesting. Ole Miss also went into the portal to deepen the receiving room, bringing in Syracuse wideouts Darrell Gill Jr. and Johntay Cook, which gives the offense more options if the staff wants to keep its pace high. The open question is whether Baker leans into the same aggressive approach that made the Rebels so hard to handle or dials it back enough to help the rest of the team breathe a little easier. [Read more 🡒]