Ole Miss has put itself in position to chase another College Football Playoff run, but the number that may matter most is a simple one: turnovers.
That starts with Trinidad Chambliss, who enters 2026 as one of the best quarterbacks in the country after guiding an offense that was among college football’s most dangerous last season. He threw only three interceptions, and that kind of ball security helped fuel an Ole Miss attack that led the SEC with 489.7 yards per game and averaged 176 yards rushing.
The Rebels finished 13-2 and fell to Georgia in the semifinal, and the expectation around the program is that they can get back to the playoff despite all the change that has come over the past season. Pete Golding deserves a lot of credit for keeping things steady when the situation could have gone sideways, especially with a new coaching regime and players leaving the roster.
This isn’t a rebuild. Not with this level of talent and not with a transfer portal class ranked No. 2 by 247Sports, with 29 commits.
The challenge now is less about acquiring talent and more about making it all fit. Ole Miss has added pieces, but the real test is how quickly those players settle into their roles.
Keeping Chambliss and Kewan Lacy in the fold was a huge boost. Lacy was part of the offensive engine that made the Rebels so hard to handle, and the returning core gives Ole Miss a real foundation to build on. The portal additions at receiver - Darrell Gill Jr., Johntay Cook II, and Horatio Fields - give the offense more options, but the chemistry piece still has to play out.
The defense is in a similar spot. Suntarine Perkins and Will Echoles are back, but they’ll be asked to lead a group with plenty of new faces around them. Golding can lean on those veterans, yet the Rebels’ margin for error shrinks quickly if the portal additions don’t deliver.
And that’s where the schedule raises the stakes. Texas, Georgia, LSU, and Oklahoma all loom, and several of those matchups could go right down to the end.
In games like that, the turnover battle can swing everything. If Ole Miss protects the football the way it did a year ago, its path back to the CFP gets a lot clearer.
In Other News...
Ole Miss May Have A Hidden Portal Piece Fans Are Overlooking
Pete Goldings first Ole Miss roster already has some obvious offensive names drawing attention, but the portal addition that could matter more than people realize is running back Makhi Frazier. The former Michigan State back arrives with a track record that suggests he is more than just depth, and in a new-look Rebels offense, there should be room for a runner who can handle real work when called upon.
Frazier is expected to sit behind Kewan Lacy on the depth chart, which sounds ordinary until you consider how much defensive attention Ole Miss figures to attract around its primary playmakers. If that pressure tilts the field the way it often does, Frazier could wind up with cleaner lanes and more meaningful touches than a typical backup, making him one of the quieter portal additions worth watching as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
This Overlooked Ole Miss Coach Could Decide Whether The Offense Stays Elite
Ole Miss has already made one major transition by elevating Pete Golding to permanent head coach, but the next piece of the puzzle may be just as important for keeping the programs momentum intact. John David Baker is in as the new offensive coordinator for 2026, and his arrival gives the Rebels a familiar voice in a room that still has key pieces like Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy back in place.
Baker is not walking into a blank slate, either. He spent three years on the Ole Miss staff before, including time as co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, so there is real continuity behind the hire even as the staff changes around him. The bigger question now is how quickly he can settle into the role that will shape whether this offense keeps humming at the level Ole Miss expects. [Read more 🡒]
Suntarine Perkins Now Carries Ole Miss Biggest Season-Defining Pressure
Suntarine Perkins has spent four years turning promise into production, and Ole Miss is now asking him to do it on the biggest stage yet. The linebacker from Mississippi arrived as one of the most highly regarded recruits in the state, stayed committed to the Rebels through outside interest, and has steadily grown into a central piece of a defense that has leaned on him for impact plays and consistency alike.
His value was on display in the 2025 Sugar Bowl quarterfinal, when he helped deliver one of the games defining defensive moments with a forced fumble. Now the pressure only gets heavier, because Ole Miss hopes in the SEC and beyond are tied to whether Perkins keeps ascending as the kind of player who can tilt a season, not just fill a role in it. [Read more 🡒]