Ole Miss is heading into fall camp with plenty of proven talent, but the freshman most likely to turn heads this season is Landon Barnes.
That’s not because Barnes is some unknown. The four-star defensive end arrives with a reputation already attached to him, ranked as a top-16 edge in the class of 2026. He brings the kind of profile coaches love in a young defensive lineman: a high motor and a real knack for handling the run game.
Barnes put up big numbers in his senior year, finishing with nine sacks and 21 tackles for loss. The production is there. The question now is how fast he can translate it once the games start counting at the next level.
In today’s college football world, true freshmen usually have to wait their turn. Older players with four or five years in the program tend to get the first crack at meaningful snaps. But Barnes has a path if he can carve out a role early, especially because Ole Miss likes to rotate bodies along the defensive front.
That matters for a team that needs help against the run. Barnes does not have to be the centerpiece of the line to matter right away. If he proves he can hold up in that area, the playing time can come quickly.
He also walks into a situation that should help his development. Ole Miss has veteran defensive linemen all over the room, with juniors and seniors leading the way. Will Echoles and Suntarine Perkins headline the group up front, and Kam Franklin and Jonathan Maldonado are also there to help guide him.
The coaching staff clearly believes Barnes can be part of the plan sooner rather than later. Defensive coordinator Bryan Brown made that plain in the spring.
"Landon Barnes is going to be a household name," Brown said in the spring. "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 isn’t the only freshman worth watching, either. Wide receiver Jase Matthews has caught the staff’s attention and could get on the field because Ole Miss needs another playmaker at that spot. Cornerback Dorian Barney is another name to keep in mind as he enters a retooled secondary.
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Ole Miss Finally Added A Tackle As Fall Camp Pressure Builds
Ole Miss has spent the summer trying to shore up its offensive line depth, and the latest addition comes in the form of Roman Womack, a sophomore tackle who arrived from Northwest Mississippi JUCO. At 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, Womack gives the Rebels another body at a position group that has been a clear focus as fall camp approaches, and he joins a transfer class that already includes Carius Curne, Enoch Wangoy and Tommy Kinsler IV.
The timing matters because Pete Golding has already made it clear the tackle spots are still very much a work in progress, with Terez Davis in line to compete for the starting left tackle job. Even with Womack in the fold, the bigger question for Ole Miss is how quickly the group can settle, especially on the right side, where the Rebels are still sorting through options for John Garrison and trying to build enough depth to survive camp. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Freshman Could Change The Receiver Picture Sooner Than Expected
Jase Mathews arrived at Ole Miss with plenty of buzz after a standout high school career in Leakesville, and the freshman receiver is already on campus as the Rebels sort through their post-spring depth chart. Signed for the 2026 season, Mathews brings the kind of talent that can force its way into a conversation quickly, especially for a program that has been looking for more answers at receiver.
Ole Miss coaches view him as one of the most intriguing true freshmen in the mix for playing time, and the timing matters with the room taking hits from recent departures. Mathews is still working his way back after missing most of his senior year, so the Rebels will have to balance patience with the possibility that he could push for a role sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]