Pete Golding has spent the last two seasons helping Ole Miss build one of the SEC’s most reliable defenses, but Year 1 of this next chapter comes with a real test: can the Rebels keep the machine humming after another major roster reset?
That’s the challenge sitting in front of Golding and the Rebels after a program-best season that sent a wave of talent to the NFL. De'Zhaun Stribling went No. 33 in the 2026 NFL Draft, and offensive tackle Jayden Williams came off the board at No.
- Soon after, Harrison Wallace III, Diego Ponds, Kapena Gushiken, and Dae'Quan Wright all signed with NFL franchises.
It’s not just the production Ole Miss has to replace. The leadership and communication that came with those players are gone too.
Ole Miss has made a habit of attacking the transfer portal, and this offseason was no different. The Rebels added 29 players, with a heavy concentration on defense and skill positions.
That kind of turnover can give a roster a jolt, but it also creates the kind of chemistry questions every staff has to answer. Trust doesn’t show up overnight, and building it across a new group takes time.
Still, the newcomers aren’t arriving empty-handed. Ole Miss brought in veteran pieces who are expected to steady things quickly, including linebacker Keaton Thomas and offensive lineman Troy Everette. The Rebels have leaned on that formula before, but every new wave of transfers brings its own uncertainty.
Now the burden shifts to the players already in the building and the new arrivals who have to grow into bigger voices. Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy, Suntarine Perkins, and Will Echoles are among the returners who will need to fill the leadership void. On the other side, Keaton Thomas, receiver Darrell Gill Jr., offensive tackle Carius Curne, and safety Joenel Aguero are all being asked to step into that role as well.
The biggest pressure point may be in the secondary. Ole Miss is projected to start three transfer additions back there, with Joenel Aguero, Sharif Denson, and Jalyn Crawford set to headline a newly formed unit. That group has to get on the same page fast, both with each other and with the coaching staff, because the SEC does not give second chances on busted coverages.
And that’s the part that makes this so fascinating for Golding’s defense. The front seven is projected to be one of the best in the country, which means the ceiling for the whole unit may come down to how quickly the secondary catches up. In a league loaded with quarterbacks and receivers, the Rebels’ ability to communicate on the back end could end up deciding just how far this defense can go.
In Other News...
Pete Golding Sees One Big Ole Miss Edge In NCAA Change
The NCAAs new five-year, age-based eligibility rule is already drawing a strong reaction from Pete Golding, who sees it as a cleaner way to manage a roster and a better fit for how college football actually works now. Instead of the old redshirt setup, players will have five seasons to play over a five-year window from enrollment or age 19, and Golding likes the flexibility that gives a program like Ole Miss when it comes to developing talent and keeping the depth chart moving.
For the Rebels, the biggest upside may be in how freely they can use gifted freshmen without feeling like every snap comes with a long-term cost. It also could help Ole Miss hold onto experienced players a little longer, since the extra eligibility gives coaches more room to think beyond the immediate season and into future roster planning. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Golding Changed What Ole Miss Believes It Can Be
Pete Goldings rise at Ole Miss has already altered the way the program talks about itself. In one run, the Rebels reached territory they had never quite touched before, winning a playoff game at home for the first time and then carrying that momentum into a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia, a result that helped them stand as the last SEC team left in the bracket. For a program that has spent so much of its modern life chasing the leagues top tier, that kind of January mattered just as much as any recruiting splash.
Now comes the harder part: proving it was not a one-off. Ole Miss enters the 2026 season with a strong transfer portal position, but Goldings first full year also brings a demanding schedule and the kind of road tests that quickly reveal whether a breakthrough has real staying power. The Rebels have already shown they can reach places the program had not visited in decades, and the next step is finding out whether they can stay there. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Has One Unit That Could Decide Everything This Season
Ole Miss has reason to feel good about the front of its offense heading into the new season. Three interior linemen are back in Brycen Sanders, Delano Townsend and Patrick Kutas, a group that helped power a rushing attack that was already a strength a year ago. Add in the fact that John David Baker is taking over as offensive coordinator with plans to lean even more heavily on the run, and the line suddenly looks like one of the clearest tone-setters on the roster.
The Rebels did not stop there, either, bringing in two tackles through the transfer portal in Carius Curne and Terez Davis to help shore up the edges. For a team trying to build around physicality and balance, that combination of continuity and new blood gives this unit a chance to shape the whole season. The only real question now is how quickly the newcomers settle in, because the answer could determine just how far this offense can go. [Read more 🡒]