Ole Miss enters the 2026 season carrying the kind of expectations that come with a recent trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals, but one college football voice thinks the Rebels may be headed for a tougher road than many fans want to hear.
Paul Finebaum said Pete Golding is the right man to lead the program, but he also made it clear that next season could be a real test for the first-year head coach.
“Golding has to survive a couple of very difficult moments. I think the Louisville game will be a test.
I don’t think that game is a slam dunk. Ole Miss should win, but how does Golding handle that weekend?
It will be unlike anything he has encountered,” Finebaum said.
“He has done very well, and I think he’s up for the moment. But dealing with Kiffin and the talent on the other side later in the season will be remarkable.”
That challenge comes after a whirlwind stretch for the Rebels. Ole Miss put together a remarkable 2025 run, but former head coach Lane Kiffin was still a major part of the foundation that got them there. He left before the playoffs, though the roster and some of his offensive staff stayed behind.
Golding, who had already been part of that staff, was elevated to head coach and now gets the task of keeping the momentum alive. Finebaum’s point is a fair one: this is still a team with enough talent to matter, but the transition to a new voice is real.
Even with the change, Ole Miss still looks like a playoff-caliber group. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is back, giving Golding a major piece to build around as the Rebels try to make another run.
The big question isn’t whether Ole Miss has talent. It’s whether Golding can guide the program back into the kind of deep postseason run it reached last season. If he pulls that off, it would be an impressive first year on the job - or second, depending on how you count it.
In Other News...
Pete Golding Faces A New Ole Miss Roster Dilemma
A Colorado judges ruling has opened a new eligibility lane for college athletes in the 2022 high school class who did not redshirt or turn pro, but for Ole Miss it has landed more as a roster-management question than an immediate recruiting opportunity. Pete Golding said the Rebels are monitoring the situation, which is still fluid as the NCAA appeals the decision, but the coaching staff is also weighing how any late addition would fit into a roster already shaped by modern scholarship limits and late-summer timing.
Goldings stance leaves the door only slightly ajar, with the Rebels apparently content to wait and see how the appeal and the larger eligibility picture develop. For a program trying to keep its depth chart organized heading into the season, the ruling matters most if circumstances change dramatically, and an injury could still alter how aggressively Ole Miss would choose to react. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Fall Camp Is Turning Up Pressure At Key Positions
Fall camp has opened at Ole Miss, and with it comes the kind of competition that can reshape a depth chart before the first snap of the season. The Rebels brought in roughly 30 new players since last year, giving the staff a fresh batch of options as it sorts through starting jobs and key rotational roles across the roster.
Among the newcomers drawing attention are Blake Purchase, Horatio Fields and Jaheim Oatis, each of whom is in the mix for meaningful playing time. Coaches and analysts have pointed to their size and physical tools as reasons they could change the look of the lineup, but camp is where the real test begins, and the pressure is only going to rise from here. [Read more 🡒]
Terez Davis Is Changing A Huge Ole Miss Question Up Front
Terez Davis has become one of the more important stability pieces for Ole Miss up front, and the Rebels got a needed answer for the future when he chose to remain with the program through 2026. After transferring from Maryland, Davis has grown into the starting left tackle spot and earned praise from coaches and teammates for the way he has approached both practice and game action, turning himself into a trusted presence on the edge of the line.
For a team that has been looking for clarity on the offensive front, Davis development matters well beyond one position. His rise from a quieter first year in Oxford to a fixture at left tackle has helped change the conversation around the Rebels protection plans, and his continued commitment gives Ole Miss a proven piece to build around as it tries to keep that side of the line settled. [Read more 🡒]