There’s plenty of turnover around Ole Miss heading into 2026, but one of the biggest reasons the Rebels can still feel familiar is sitting right in the middle of the offense.
John David Baker is back in Oxford as the new play-caller after spending two years at East Carolina, and he isn’t arriving with a wrecking ball. The offense he inherited from Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weiss Jr. isn’t getting torn down. Baker said Monday the foundation is staying put, even if a few things have been adjusted along the way.
“There have been tweaks; there’s been things that we changed when we left here two years ago,” Baker said on Monday. “But at its core, it’s the same thing.
And it’s a hard thing sometimes when you’ve got guys that have been in the offense that were here last year that have so much success, and then you’re asking them to maybe change something or, ‘hey, think about this a little differently. …”
That approach fits the moment in Oxford. Ole Miss has a first-year head coach who is not trying to wipe away what worked before, but rather keep building on it. Bringing Baker back was part of that plan, giving the Rebels a coordinator who already understands the system instead of forcing a full reset.
Baker pointed to players like Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy as examples of the buy-in he needs from a group that already knows what success in this offense looks like.
“I’m talking about Trinidad [Chambliss], Kewan [Lacy], those guys that had unbelievable success a year ago that are willing to accept the little changes and understand, ‘hey, there may be a different way to do it, but I can still have the same success that I had a year ago,’“ Baker said.
That’s the balance for Ole Miss in 2026: a roster with some proven pieces, a staff with familiar voices like Golding and Joe Judge, and a new coordinator who is trying to preserve the edge of an offense that already worked. Baker isn’t trying to reinvent anything. He’s trying to keep it rolling.
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Lane Kiffin Faces A New Ole Miss Debate Over Trinidad Chambliss
Trinidad Chambliss went from injury replacement to the face of Ole Miss football in 2025, taking over after Austin Simmons went down and helping push the Rebels to a program-record 13 wins while coming close to reaching the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. His rise has only sharpened the conversation around what it all means for Lane Kiffins reputation, especially after one SEC coach suggested Chamblisss breakout had more to do with the quarterback himself than with the head coach drawing the plays.
Chambliss is back for a final season after winning a court battle to return, and hell do so under Pete Golding as Ole Miss opens 2026 against Louisville with expectations that will be hard to miss. The quarterback is already being talked about as a Heisman Trophy contender, which only adds another layer to the debate in Oxford: whether Kiffins offense helped create the moment, or whether Chambliss was the kind of player who could have turned heads anywhere. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Golding Sees An Early Sign Ole Miss Defense Is Advancing Fast
Pete Golding did not need much time to see why Ole Miss walked into fall camp feeling ahead of schedule on defense. The Rebels carried over continuity from spring and summer workouts, and the return of key pieces like Edwin Joseph and Jordan Renaud gave the staff a familiar base to build on. Golding also pointed to the offseason development structure and the way new offensive coordinator John David Baker helped make the transition smoother, with players already showing a stronger grasp of the playbook than a typical camp opener might suggest.
For a defense trying to take a step forward, that kind of early comfort matters because the real test comes when the tempo rises and mistakes stop being theoretical. Golding believes the groups versatility should help it handle adversity, but fall camp is where that confidence gets stress-tested against pressure, alignment checks and the kind of mental load that can expose whether a unit is truly ahead of the curve. [Read more 🡒]
John David Baker Faces Ole Miss Offense Debate Fans Cant Ignore
Ole Miss comes into the season with real offensive standards attached to it after last years group finished third in the SEC in points per game and led the league in passing and total yards. John David Baker now inherits that machine as offensive coordinator, and the job is less about starting from scratch than finding a way to keep the production humming while fitting the attack more cleanly with what the defense needs behind it.
The balancing act is what makes Bakers first turn so interesting. Ole Miss also went into the portal to deepen the receiving room, bringing in Syracuse wideouts Darrell Gill Jr. and Johntay Cook, which gives the offense more options if the staff wants to keep its pace high. The open question is whether Baker leans into the same aggressive approach that made the Rebels so hard to handle or dials it back enough to help the rest of the team breathe a little easier. [Read more 🡒]