The Ole Miss Rebels are almost at the point where talk turns into football. Fall camp is coming fast, and before long they’ll be lining up for their first game of the 2026 regular season against Louisville.
That’s the backdrop for a roster that reached the College Football Playoff semifinals last season and now has a higher standard in front of it. If Ole Miss is going to climb even higher in 2026, the Rebels need more than a few star turns. They need every position group to hold up its end of the bargain.
At the top of the list is quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, and for Ole Miss that’s exactly where he belongs. He’s expected to be a Heisman candidate before the season even starts, and the Rebels will lean heavily on him. The good news is that he’s also the most elite talent on that sideline.
The offense around him is loaded with pieces that can make life difficult for opposing defenses. Running back Kewan Lacy is set to be the featured name in the backfield again, while portal additions Makhi Frazier and Joshua Dye could push that unit even further.
Up front, Ole Miss brings back four players who should start on the offensive line, giving the Rebels a group with real familiarity. And that chemistry matters - it’s often the difference between a line that looks good and one that can control a game.
There’s also a lot riding on the tight end room, where senior Luk Hasz is trying to get back on track after an injury-shortened season. He’s not new to the program, but 2026 feels like a prove-it year after his 2024 production of 26 receptions and three touchdown catches.
On the defensive side, the linebacker group has a chance to stand out. Suntraine Perkins and transfer addition Luke Ferrelli give Ole Miss what could be its most talented unit on that side of the ball.
The interior defensive line will also be under the microscope. If the Rebels are going to stop the run well enough to chase a title, defensive tackles Will Echoles and Michai Boireau have to become a disruptive, run-stuffing pair.
The secondary, meanwhile, is being rebuilt with a lot of new faces. Head coach Pete Golding went into the transfer portal to reshape that group in his first season on the sidelines in Oxford, and senior Antonio Kite may be the one returning player who can step in and lead right away.
Special teams might not get the same attention, but it has a real place in this conversation. Kicker Lucas Carneiro led the SEC in field goal attempts and field goals made last season, and sophomore punter Oscar Bird finished second in the conference in punting average in 2025. For a team with championship ambitions, that kind of edge can matter.
Ole Miss has talent all over the field. The question now is which groups can turn that talent into something bigger when the season starts.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Just Added A Messy New Twist To LSU Rivalry Week
Rivalry week just picked up an off-field wrinkle for Ole Miss, with the school saying former players who left after signing revenue-sharing contracts now owe buyout payments tied to their exits. Athletic director Keith Carter said the Rebels are still sorting out how those agreements will be enforced, but the school is treating the matter as more than a paperwork nuisance and is exploring ways to collect what it believes is owed.
What makes the situation especially awkward is the possibility that the dispute could spill beyond the players themselves and into LSU territory, since Carter suggested the Tigers could wind up covering the bill on their end. However it gets handled, the case adds a fresh layer of uncertainty to a new era of player contracts, where the rules are still being tested and the consequences are only starting to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss May Have An SEC Mismatch Pete Golding Needed Most
Pete Goldings first Ole Miss roster has a chance to look a lot more settled than the coaching carousel around it. After Lane Kiffin and several staff members left for LSU, the Rebels responded by plugging holes through the transfer portal and keeping enough proven talent in place to avoid a full reset. The defense got help at linebacker, while the offense still has the kind of backbone that can make a new coachs transition look a lot smoother than expected.
Trinidad Chambliss is back to steer the passing game, and Kewan Lacy returns after a record-setting season that gave Ole Miss one of the SECs most dangerous ground attacks. Put those pieces together and the Rebels have a real chance to lean on balance instead of rebuilding, which matters even more in a league where one weak spot can get exposed fast. The bigger question now is whether Golding can turn that continuity into an immediate edge before the schedule starts asking for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Jaxson Dart Just Got The Kind Of NFL Praise Ole Miss Craved
Jaxson Darts second NFL season is already drawing the kind of attention Ole Miss fans hoped to hear when he left Oxford for the league. New Giants coach John Harbaugh has made it clear he sees more than just a young quarterback with arm talent, praising Darts athletic ability and the way he can threaten defenses both as a passer and as a runner. For a player who flashed plenty of dual-threat upside as a rookie, that kind of endorsement matters because it suggests the Giants want to build around the traits that made him so dangerous in the first place.
Harbaughs view also hints at a bigger role for Dart if the offense leans into what he does best, the same kind of versatility that helped define some of Baltimores most dangerous attacks. Darts first season showed promise, but the next step is about turning those flashes into something more consistent and durable. For Ole Miss, it is the sort of NFL praise that reflects well on the program, and for Dart, it sets up a season where the expectations are no longer about potential alone. [Read more 🡒]