Ole Miss opens the season with its highest expectations in years, and the first test arrives fast: No. 24 Louisville comes to Oxford with enough firepower to make the Rebels earn every bit of that No. 9 ranking.
The Rebels are back after a long offseason, and the spotlight is bright after a record-setting year. Pete Golding enters his first full season as Ole Miss head coach after serving as the program’s defensive coordinator since 2023.
Last season, he helped guide the Rebels to two CFP wins. Before Oxford, Golding worked as a defensive coach at Alabama, UTSA, Southern Miss, Southeastern Louisiana, Delta State, and Tusculum.
On the other side, Jeff Brohm is into his fourth season leading Louisville. He has gone 28-12 in his first three years and became just the second coach in program history to win nine or more games in three straight seasons. Brohm also took the Cardinals to their first ACC title game in 2023.
Oddsmakers have Ole Miss as a 6.5-point favorite, with the Rebels at -118 and Louisville at -102.
Ole Miss has no injuries to report for week one, and the expectation is that the roster will be fully available for the opener.
Louisville, meanwhile, comes in with a clear offensive plan. The Cardinals turned to the transfer portal for quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, a former backup at Ohio State. Kienholz is expected to bring a running element to the position, and he’ll pair with star running back Isaac Brown to form the center of Louisville’s offense.
That sets up a matchup that could come down to one simple question: which team can run the ball better? Louisville looks like a dangerous week-one opponent, and the Cardinals may end up being one of the ACC’s more overlooked teams.
In Other News...
Chambliss Sends Ole Miss Fans A Message Before Louisville Test
With Louisville on deck, Trinidad Chambliss spent his pregame media time doing what coaches and quarterbacks prefer this time of year: keeping the focus on football. The Ole Miss quarterback praised Louisvilles defense, calling attention to a physical, well-coached group that figures to make Saturday night a useful early test. He also touched on the leadership role he has taken on and the progress he believes he made during fall camp, which has helped shape the tone around this matchup.
Chambliss also pushed back against the noise that can build around preseason narratives, including the social media chatter tied to LSUs roster situation. For Ole Miss, the bigger picture is simple enough: a September 6 meeting with Louisville at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC, with a chance to see how the Rebels handle an opponent that should demand sharper execution from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Former Ole Miss Players Are At Center Of A Fight LSU Didn't Want
The SECs latest legal fight has landed squarely in Baton Rouge, with LSU and coach Lane Kiffin named in a federal lawsuit over the eligibility of former professional players DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris. Both players previously signed NFL contracts and are now trying to return to college football, which has put them at the center of a conference policy that bars member schools from adding athletes who already crossed into the pro ranks.
For Ole Miss fans, the wrinkle is familiar because Wright and Harris once wore Rebel colors before their paths took them into the professional game. Now the SEC is moving to enforce its rule in court, and a judge is expected to weigh a temporary restraining order that would determine whether LSU can use the players while the case plays out. It is an awkward, high-stakes dispute the conference clearly did not want, and one that could shape how quickly this kind of eligibility battle gets settled in the future. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss Is Building Something Bigger Than Football
Trinidad Chambliss rise at Ole Miss has started to spill beyond the field and into a different kind of impact. The Rebels quarterback has entered an NIL partnership with the Mama Justice law firm, and the centerpiece is a scholarship effort tied to his name that is aimed at students across the region, not just the Oxford spotlight.
The Macon a Difference Scholarship will total $225,000 over five years and will award three $15,000 scholarships each year beginning in spring 2027. Applications open Oct. 1, with eligibility extending to students attending SEC universities in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, as well as recent high school graduates, giving Chambliss a platform that reaches well beyond game day. [Read more 🡒]