Pete Golding is about to walk into his first SEC Media Days with a clear message about who he wants front and center for Ole Miss.
The Rebels are sending Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy and Will Echoles to Tampa, Florida, and each choice says something about where this team is headed in 2026.
Echoles is the one who stands out on the defensive side. Golding is a defensive coach, and putting Echoles in that spot is a strong vote of confidence.
With so much of the conversation around this defense expected to center on stopping the run, Echoles is the natural player to speak for that group. He looks like the leader of the defense, and next week should give the rest of the country a better look at him.
The other two picks are just as easy to understand. Chambliss and Lacy are the kind of offensive duo every program hopes to have. There may not be a better quarterback-running back pairing in college football this season, and both could be in the mix as Heisman Trophy finalists by December.
Golding is leaning on players who already showed they can grow into bigger roles last season, and the expectation is that they take another step in 2026. That’s the standard for every program, but especially for a first-year head coach trying to make his mark.
And Golding may be in a better position than most first-year coaches. Ole Miss looks built to push back toward the College Football Playoff, and if that happens, these three players will likely be a big reason why.
For Golding, this first trip to SEC Media Days is more than a formality. It’s a preview of the players he expects to carry the Rebels in 2026.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Has One Trusted Veteran Chambliss Cant Afford To Lose
Brycen Sanders is back in the middle of the Ole Miss offensive line for 2026, and that matters more than most people outside the program might realize. A veteran center can steady everything around him, and Sanders has become one of the most important pieces in front of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, giving the Rebels a familiar anchor as they try to keep their offense humming.
Sanders value goes beyond snapping the ball. He has handled protection calls, helped sort out fronts and relayed blitz information before the snap, the kind of work that rarely gets much attention until it is missing. With Chambliss coming off a huge 2025 season and carrying heavyweight expectations into the fall, Ole Miss has a lot riding on the one trusted veteran it can least afford to lose. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Faces A Massive Recruiting Test For Elite 5-Star Back
Ole Miss is in the mix for one of the most coveted backs in the 2027 class, as five-star David Gabriel Georges has trimmed his list to Tennessee, Ohio State and the Rebels. Ranked No. 10 overall, Georges brings the kind of national attention that can swing a recruiting cycle, and his upcoming decision has turned into a real test of how far Ole Miss can push against two heavyweights on the trail.
Georges is expected to announce his commitment on July 22 at 5:30 p.m. ET, and the buzz around the race has centered on Tennessee and Ohio State as the programs to beat. Recruiting experts have pointed to Tennessee as the current favorite, but until Georges makes it official, Ole Miss still has a chance to land a player who would instantly change the conversation around its 2027 class. [Read more 🡒]