Ole Miss has a kicker with a bigger leg than most teams ever get to see.
Lucas Carneiro just finished a season that put him squarely in the conversation as one of the Rebels’ most valuable players. He went 31-for-35 on field goals and did not miss an extra point, and his 58-yard make last season stands as the longest field goal in program history since 1970.
Now he’s talking about stretching that range even farther.
Carneiro said he floated the idea of a 65-yarder while he was in Charlotte for the Rebel Tour, and then backed it up by hitting a 62-yard kick in camp last week.
"I was actually in Charlotte for the Rebel Tour, and I made a little comment about maybe a 65-yarder," Carneiro said. "Hit one from 62 in camp last week, so my biggest thing is being ready whenever.
It's obviously up to coach Golding, and the offense has their choice to do what they want. But for me, it's whenever I'm called upon, is to go out there and do my job."
That kind of range would put him in rare company. The longest field goal in college football history is Ove Johansson’s 69-yarder in 1976. Four players have connected from 67 yards, and two have made kicks from 65.
Carneiro’s confidence comes at a time when he’s getting plenty of national attention. He has landed on several first-team lists this offseason alongside Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy, recognition that reflects how strong Ole Miss’ top-end talent looks entering the year.
Still, Carneiro isn’t dwelling on what happened last season. He said the Rebels have moved on, and he’s focused on sharpening the details after admitting there were a few misses he wanted to clean up.
"It goes for the whole team, and Coach Golding has said as well is flipping the page," Carneiro said. "Obviously, we all had a good year last year.
Didn't finish the way we wanted, but for me specifically, I had some misses last year that I wish I could eliminate, and I took the offseason to work and focus on and stick true to that.... Last season was a good year, but that's in the past, and our focus is getting ready for Louisville week one."
If Ole Miss needs a big kick again, Carneiro has made it clear he expects to be ready. And after the way he finished last season, that’s a pretty dangerous weapon to have waiting on the sideline.
In Other News...
Jehiem Oatis Brings Ole Miss A Homecoming Story Fans Will Love
Jehiem Oatis has already taken an unusual route through college football, and now the fifth-year defensive tackle gets a return home that makes the next stop feel especially personal. A former four-star recruit in 2022, Oatis first made his way onto the field at Alabama before later appearing in games for Colorado in 2024, all while building the kind of resume that made him a notable addition anywhere he landed.
For Ole Miss, the appeal goes beyond the path he took to get here. Oatis is from Columbia, Mississippi, which gives this transfer a built-in homecoming feel for a player who has seen the sport from multiple corners but now comes back to the state where it all started. For fans, it is the kind of move that fits neatly into the old-new rhythm of roster building, with a local name and a familiar background adding extra weight to the story. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Just Lost A Controversial Roster Path The SEC Targeted
The SEC and Big Ten have moved to shut down a roster loophole that had become a point of friction across the sport, adopting new rules that bar member schools from keeping players who declared for the NFL, NBA or WNBA drafts and never withdrew. The policy also covers athletes who signed professional contracts or were already on pro rosters, a change finalized after conference leaders met to settle on a cleaner line for eligibility and roster management.
For Ole Miss and the rest of the league, the timing matters because the SECs stance now comes with real enforcement behind it, not just general guidance. The conferences also agreed on punishments for schools that violate the rules, and LSUs abstention from the final vote underscored how contentious the issue had been after its effort to roster former NFL players DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris helped push the debate into the open. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Fans Finally Have Clarity On Corey Stephenson's SEC Status
The SECs new eligibility language has brought some needed clarity to a situation Ole Miss had been watching closely, and it works in Corey Stephensons favor. The conference said athletes who declare for professional drafts without withdrawing, or who sign professional contracts, cannot play in the league, which raised questions around Stephenson after reports tied him to an Exhibit 10 opportunity with the Detroit Pistons.
For Ole Miss, the concern is now off the board. Stephenson did not officially sign that contract, which keeps him eligible and clears the way for him to suit up for the Rebels next season after transferring from FIU. Its a small but important development for a team that has been waiting for certainty on one of its newest guards. [Read more 🡒]