Ole Miss comes out of its bye week trying to steady itself after a 52-28 loss to Florida, and the next stop is a road trip to Vanderbilt. No.
9 Ole Miss will play the Commodores at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Pete Golding also getting a boost Monday when Kewan Lacy returned.
The Rebels and Commodores are both coming off losses, but Vanderbilt still brings plenty to the table. Clark Lea’s group authored a season for the record books in 2025, piling up six SEC wins and 10 victories overall, both program records.
Lea was rewarded as the SEC Coach of the Year. Even with that breakthrough, Vanderbilt’s roster changed quite a bit afterward, including the departure of star quarterback Diego Pavia.
This season has already shown a little of everything for the Commodores. They opened 3-0 with wins over Austin Peay, Delaware and NC State, the last of those coming in dramatic fashion on a last-second finish.
Since then, though, they’ve dropped back-to-back games against Auburn and Georgia. Vanderbilt hung around with the Bulldogs for a while before Georgia took control in the second half.
Junior Sherrill has been the big threat in the passing game. The senior receiver has spent all four seasons at Vanderbilt and is tracking toward his best year yet.
He ranks fourth in the SEC with 474 receiving yards and fifth with 28 catches. That kind of production makes him the clear name Ole Miss has to account for, even if slowing him down won’t be simple.
The quarterback situation is less settled. Freshman Jared Curtis sat out last week against knee injury, and his status for Ole Miss remains uncertain.
If he’s on the field, his mobility adds another layer to the matchup. Curtis has shown the arm strength and athletic ability to be a good quarterback, though like most freshmen, he has had his share of ups and downs.
If he can’t go, Vanderbilt would turn to Blaze Berlowitz.
On defense, safety CJ Heard stands out as a player who can swing momentum in a hurry. He delivered a huge performance against Delaware with two sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass deflection, and he was a major part of Vanderbilt’s defense a year ago as well. Trinidad Chambliss will need to keep tabs on Heard throughout the afternoon, because he has the kind of playmaking ability that can change the shape of the game.
In Other News...
Chris Beard Just Gave Ole Miss Fans Another Recruiting Reason To Believe
Chris Beard added another piece to Ole Miss long-term backcourt picture with a commitment from Texas-based shooting guard Paxton Ivy in the 2027 recruiting class. Ivy, who moved back to Dallas for his senior season, brings the kind of profile Beard and his staff have tended to value: outside shooting, a feel for the game and the basketball IQ to fit into a system that asks guards to make quick, smart decisions.
For a program that is already looking ahead to the 2026-27 season, which begins Nov. 2, it is another sign that the recruiting momentum is not slowing down. Ole Miss also has an exhibition against Alabama on Oct. 15, a useful early test as Beard continues building toward the future while keeping the current roster on track. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Has A Quarterback Drawing Rare Praise From Herbstreit
Kirk Herbstreit spent part of ESPNs college football conversation this week making an unusually bold case for Trinidad Chambliss, the Ole Miss quarterback whose rise has turned heads well beyond Oxford. Even with Alabamas Keelon Russell fresh off a strong performance, Herbstreit singled out Chambliss as the passer he would take above every other quarterback in the sport, and Joey Galloway joined in the discussion by pointing to the traits that have made Chambliss such a tough player to ignore.
For Ole Miss, the praise only adds to the intrigue around a quarterback who has already forced his way into the national conversation while working through his sixth year of eligibility granted by a court injunction. Chambliss has produced strong passing and rushing numbers through four games, and the bigger question now is how his game translates down the line, especially with his height mentioned as a possible NFL limitation. [Read more 🡒]
Former Rebels Are Making NFL Noise And Fighting For More
A number of former Rebels were in the middle of the NFL conversation in Week 4, with familiar names showing up across box scores and on special teams in ways that should keep Ole Miss followers paying attention. The recap touched on everything from receptions and pass breakups to tackles and sacks, a reminder that the programs reach in the league runs well beyond the marquee quarterbacks and receivers fans tend to notice first.
Some ex-Rebels also dealt with the less glamorous side of an NFL season, with injuries and limited roles shaping how much they were able to contribute. Even so, the week left open the question of who can turn a strong early-season showing into a bigger opportunity next, and which of these former Rebels is on the verge of forcing more meaningful snaps. [Read more 🡒]