Kewan Lacy’s trip back to Texas gives Ole Miss a familiar face, a fresh test, and a question the Rebels are still managing carefully.
The running back is coming off a big outing against Missouri last week, when he piled up 122 rushing yards against his former team. Now he heads home again, this time to the state where he grew up and the school he once rooted for. Lacy attended Lancaster High School, just outside downtown Dallas, and he grew up as a Texas Longhorns fan.
That makes Saturday’s matchup against Texas a personal one, but it also comes with some uncertainty. Lacy has dealt with injuries all season.
He missed one game because of a shoulder issue, and even when he has been available, Ole Miss had not yet seen him fully opened up until Saturday. Against Missouri, he looked like his 2025 version again.
Ole Miss wants that to carry over, but Pete Golding said the Rebels are staying measured with how they handle Lacy during the week.
"So I think every week is going to be pretty similar with him. I mean, you’ve got an experienced player that’s been in the system, right?
So, you know, our responsibility throughout the week is to make sure we’re protecting him and taking care of him," Golding said on Monday. "It’s not like he’s forgot how to play football.
So obviously the game plan is going to change a little bit week in and week out... But as far as, you know, the physicality of having to run the football, you know, versus scout team and all that, it’s not that..."
The caution makes sense. Lacy carried the ball 306 times last season, and the Rebels leaned on him more than they would have liked. This year, the approach appears more controlled, with the expectation that he’ll be eased through the week and then ramped up on game day.
Ole Miss also has another option helping lighten the load. Makhi Frazier has given the backfield a boost, averaging 5.6 yards per carry on 45 attempts. His production changes the look of the offense and gives Lacy some support instead of asking him to carry everything.
For Lacy, though, this one is about more than workload. During SEC Media Days, he said he wanted to commit to Texas, but the Longhorns never gave him an opportunity. Now he gets to line up against them with his family in the stands.
“It’s going to mean a lot, just coming back home. I don’t really hold anything against Texas," Lacy said. "But it’s a hometown game, so I’m excited to have all my family, friends there.”
If Ole Miss is going to leave with a major road win, it probably needs Lacy to look like he did against Missouri again.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Just Got A National Vote Of Confidence Before Texas
Ole Miss is heading into the stretch run with plenty of momentum, and it just picked up a notable endorsement from one of the sports most recognizable voices. On the Pat McAfee show, ESPN analyst Rece Davis said he views the Rebels as a legitimate contender in the 2026 college football season, even putting them in the conversation as the SECs second-best team behind Georgia.
That kind of national confidence matters because the schedule only gets more revealing from here, starting with Texas on deck. Ole Miss already has notable wins over LSU, Missouri and Louisville, and the next few weeks will show whether the Rebels can keep stacking those kinds of results as the second half of the season tightens the margin for error. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Has A Real Opening Against Texas If One Unit Holds Up
Ole Miss comes into this week riding the lift of a strong win and looking at a Texas team that suddenly has real urgency attached to it. The Longhorns have dropped two straight, and the Rebels know they are getting a defense that still carries a strong reputation overall, even if the matchup has changed a bit with a key piece now unavailable on the edge.
Colin Simmons being out with a high ankle sprain matters because it can alter how much pressure Texas gets on Trinidad Chambliss, and that is where this game could tilt if Ole Miss protects well enough. Kewan Lacy has battled injuries but remains an important part of the Rebels' offense, and if he gives them a steady presence, Ole Miss has a path to make this more uncomfortable for Texas than the rankings would suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Gets Rare Vote Of Confidence In Massive Texas Test
Ole Miss is heading into one of its biggest measuring-stick games of the season with an unusual bit of outside optimism attached. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy picked the Rebels to beat Texas, pointing to a Longhorns offensive line that has struggled and the possibility that edge rusher Colin Simmons could be limited by injury, while also noting Ole Miss has the kind of offensive line play that can help it handle a physical road test.
The quarterback situation adds another layer to a matchup already thick with stakes. Steve Sarkisian has hinted at a possible change behind center but still expects Arch Manning to start, and McElroy also pointed out that Texas still brings real defensive strength to the table. For Ole Miss, the challenge is clear: take advantage of the openings that have shown up for Texas while surviving the stretches where the Longhorns can still make life difficult. [Read more 🡒]