Fall camp is nearly done in Oxford, and the early buzz around Ole Miss is starting to shift toward a few younger names who may not stay buried on the depth chart for long.
The Rebels bring back plenty of proven production, with Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy set to lead the offense and Will Echoles and Suntarine Perkins taking on leadership duties on defense. But tucked behind the veterans are several young players who could end up with bigger jobs than anyone expected.
At wide receiver, Caleb Cunningham looks like the clearest candidate to jump into a meaningful role. Ole Miss has plenty of turnover in that room, and Pete Golding said Cunningham is finally back to full health.
"Caleb Cunningham is finally healthy again. I think he gives us a different presence than we've had out there," Golding said.
"He's who we expected him to be when he got here over a year ago. It has been really nice to get him back out there healthy.
He's just a different body type."
Cunningham, a former five-star, has the kind of traits that can make him hard to keep off the field. If he can hold up physically, there’s a real path to a much larger workload.
The secondary has a young name climbing too. Dorian Barney has been gaining traction through spring and fall camp, and the freshman corner could carve out a real spot in a defense that likes to keep fresh bodies moving in and out. Golding’s rotation-heavy approach gives Barney a chance to get on the field early, even with Antonio Kite, Sharif Denson and Cedrick Beavers ahead of him in experience.
Up front, Landon Barnes is another freshman pushing for playing time. Bryan Brown did not hold back when talking about the defensive end.
"Landon Barnes is going to be a household name," Brown said during spring ball. "You can write that down. He's a heck of a football player and he's going to play for us this year for sure."
Barnes will have to fight for snaps with Kam Franklin and Jonathan Maldonado, but the combination of talent, pedigree and Ole Miss’ tendency to rotate defenders could open the door quickly. The opportunity is there, and the expectation around him is growing with it.
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