Ole Miss doesn’t have to guess what the standard looks like anymore. The Rebels made the College Football Playoff in 2025 for the first time in program history, then turned that run into a trip to the semifinals with wins over Tulane, 41-10, and Georgia, 39-34. Now the challenge is obvious: proving that breakthrough wasn’t a one-time thing.
A return trip in 2026 will depend on how well Ole Miss handles change on offense, and how much its defense can keep carrying its weight. That starts with Trinidad Chambliss, who was electric last season and now has to show he can take another step.
The quarterback is walking into a different setup. Ole Miss lost several important pieces this offseason, with De'Zhaun Stribling, Harrison Wallace III, Cayden Lee, and Dae'Quan Wright all moving on through the NFL or the transfer portal. There’s also a new voice calling the offense, with John David Baker taking over as offensive coordinator.
Chambliss will have to adjust to that turnover while continuing to grow in his second season with the program. The Rebels need more efficiency from him, fewer mistakes, and the same kind of leadership presence he brought a year ago. In the biggest games, he’ll be the one expected to make the difference and show he belongs among the elite quarterbacks.
The good news for Ole Miss is that the defense already has a strong foundation. Pete Golding has kept that side of the ball among the nation’s best, and if the Rebels want another shot at the playoff, that unit can’t slip and settle for being merely solid in the SEC.
There’s still plenty of experience back, too. Suntarine Perkins and Will Echoles are set to anchor the group with the kind of veteran presence SEC defenses lean on. And after losing TJ Dottery and Princewill Umanmielen to the transfer portal, Ole Miss went out and filled the gaps instead of waiting around.
The additions were substantial. Keaton Thomas arrives from Baylor at linebacker, Jordan Renaud from Alabama at defensive end, and Blake Purchase from Oregon at edge. In the secondary, the Rebels added Jay Crawford from Auburn, Sharif Denson from Florida, and Edwin Joseph from Florida State.
That revamped defense will be expected to do the dirty work: create turnovers, get after the quarterback, force sacks or incompletions, and keep explosive plays in check against SEC offenses. If that happens, Ole Miss has the kind of unit that can help carry a playoff push.
Of course, making the field is about more than piling up wins. It’s also about beating the teams that shape the national picture, and Ole Miss has a demanding slate waiting.
The Rebels play LSU on Sept. 19, go to Texas on Oct. 24, host Georgia on Nov. 7, and travel to Oklahoma on Nov. 14.
Those four games will go a long way in deciding everything. Ole Miss will need to win most of them, protect home field, and avoid a damaging loss at Vaught. A major setback there could knock the Rebels off track fast.
The path back is there, but it’s not easy. Ole Miss has the talent to be part of the playoff conversation again, and if the Rebels build the right résumé, they could find themselves back among the College Football Playoff locks.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Just Lost Another In-State Battle That Fans Wont Ignore
Ole Miss spent part of this cycle trying to keep another elite in-state prospect from getting away, and the Rebels had reason to believe they had a real shot when the conversation turned to Caden Moss. The four-star offensive lineman from Jackson, Mississippi, has been one of the more closely watched names in the 2027 class, and his decision carried the kind of weight that always lands differently when the player is from home.
For Ole Miss, the miss is a reminder that recruiting battles in Mississippi rarely stay simple, even when the Rebels have already built some momentum up front. They do have four-star offensive linemen Antonio Berry and Antonio Keefer committed for 2027, but Moss would have been a major addition to that group and another sign that the staff could keep top local talent from drifting elsewhere. Instead, the Rebels are left to regroup in a race where every in-state swing still matters. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Facing Early Pressure In Costly Fight For Elite 5-Star RB
The early arms race around David Gabriel Georges says plenty about where elite recruiting is headed, and it also shows how quickly a 2027 running back can become a major financial talking point before he has even reached the college ranks. The highly ranked prospect is already being discussed as one of the most valuable football recruits in the country, with the kind of profile that has made his recruitment a must-watch for programs trying to land a future centerpiece.
Ohio State and Tennessee have emerged as the primary schools in the chase, which leaves Ole Miss in the position of trying to close ground in a race that already feels expensive and crowded. The Rebels have been mentioned among the schools still involved, but the longer this battle goes on, the more it looks like a test of whether they can stay relevant with a player whose market is rising fast and whose next move could reshape the conversation around his class. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss May Finally Have The Defense To Change Everything
Pete Goldings arrival has already changed the feel around Ole Miss, and the defense he helped shape in his second year as coordinator showed it in 2024. The Rebels were noticeably sturdier on that side of the ball, with the kind of improvement in scoring defense, total defense and run defense that can alter how a team is built and how it is viewed going into a season.
Now the next step is about keeping that momentum while adding more pieces through the transfer portal. Ole Miss has brought in help at linebacker and in the secondary, and with five starters back, the unit has a chance to offer the balance the program has been chasing. If that holds, the Rebels may have a defense capable of making the rest of the roster look a lot more dangerous. [Read more 🡒]