Ole Miss gets Oklahoma again on Nov. 14, and this one already has the feel of a matchup that could keep building into something bigger. The Rebels beat the Sooners 34-26 in Norman last season, and Oklahoma’s move into the SEC in 2024 made the conference’s decision to lock them in as yearly rivals official.
This time, Ole Miss heads back to face a Sooners team that looks different in a few key spots. Oklahoma spent heavily in the portal to give quarterback John Mateer more help at receiver, adding Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris to a group that was a clear offseason priority. The passing game got the attention, and for good reason: the Sooners needed more firepower after an offense that went through its share of swings.
But the real backbone of Oklahoma still sits on the other side of the ball. The Sooners are bringing back 10 starters or heavy rotation players on defense, then added more pieces through the transfer market to strengthen the unit.
Bishop Thomas is part of the push up front, where the defensive line looks like the best part of the defense. Cole Sullivan at linebacker and Dokata Fields at corner also deepen a group that already has plenty to work with.
The question for Oklahoma is whether the offense can become more balanced. Even after reworking the running back room and offensive line, the ground game remains the spot that can hold the whole thing back. If the Sooners can’t run it consistently, the attack can get stuck in one gear.
There’s also a different concern on defense, even if the unit itself isn’t a weakness. Oklahoma lost some important veterans, including edge rusher R Mason Thomas and interior linemen Damonic Williams and Gracen Halton.
The talent is still there, and there are underclassmen ready to take on bigger roles, but the Sooners are lighter on proven experience than they were a year ago. In a big late-season game, that could matter.
For Ole Miss, the path is straightforward: make Oklahoma defend the run and force the Sooners to prove they can win the game through the air. John Mateer’s ability to push the ball vertically and connect downfield will be central if Oklahoma wants to threaten the Rebels. On the other side, the Sooners’ defense will be tested by star running back Kewan Lacy and the Ole Miss rushing attack, with early-down run defense key if they want to get pressure on Trinidad Chambliss.
Ole Miss enters the matchup as a four-point underdog, but the Rebels bring a deep, battle-tested roster into Norman. If they want to keep control of this budding rivalry, they’ll have to lean into the strengths that carried them last season.
In Other News...
Why Ole Miss Fans Are Suddenly Watching This Transfer Closely
Johntay Cook II arrives in Oxford with the kind of rsum that makes him easy to notice and hard to ignore. After stops at Texas, Washington and Syracuse, the wide receiver is expected to matter in Ole Miss 2026 plans, and his most recent season showed why the Rebels are giving him a real look. He caught 45 passes for 549 yards and 2 touchdowns at Syracuse, production that gives Ole Miss a proven option as it reshapes its offense under coach John David Baker.
For Cook, the next step is less about reliving the transfer trail and more about finding a fit quickly with Trinidad Chambliss. Ole Miss has plenty of room for a receiver to carve out a larger role, and Cooks path to that opportunity will depend on how well he meshes with the quarterback and how consistently he can bring the kind of playmaking that has followed him from school to school. The connection is still being built, but it has the feel of one that could matter a lot to this offense. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Golding Faces Five Ole Miss Questions He Cant Dodge
Pete Golding is heading into his first season as Ole Miss head coach with a roster that gives the Rebels real reason to believe the momentum can carry over. The opener against Louisville will set the tone, and the expectation around Oxford is that this team starts the year in the top 15 after bringing back quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy, two names that put Ole Miss squarely in the early Heisman conversation.
Even with that kind of talent in place, the questions are already lining up for Golding as SEC Media Days approaches. There is a new offensive coordinator in John David Baker after Charlie Weis Jr. left for LSU, the defense still has to show it can take a step forward after last seasons issues, and the schedule brings Lane Kiffin back to Oxford with LSU on Sept. 19, a date that will draw attention whether Ole Miss wants it to or not. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss May Have One Edge That Could Save This Season
Pete Goldings first months in charge at Ole Miss have been defined less by a sweeping reset than by a careful attempt to preserve what already made sense. After Lane Kiffins departure, Golding brought in 10 new staff members, but he also leaned hard on familiarity by promoting Bryan Brown into the defensive coordinator role and keeping some continuity on offense with John David Baker, who already knows the program from a previous stint in Oxford.
That kind of internal stability may not sound as flashy as a major splash hire, especially with the SEC schedule looming, but it could end up mattering more than the Rebels first realized. Golding inherits a team that has to adjust to a new head coach while still trying to avoid the kind of drift that can follow a sudden change, and the quiet advantage here is that several key voices already understand the players, the expectations and what has and has not worked in this system. [Read more 🡒]