- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,193,802
- Reaction score
- 59
OXFORD — Ole Miss football set the bar high in 2025, but it did leave some room to improve in 2026.
Coach Pete Golding is going into his first full season as head coach of the Rebels. He took over after Lane Kiffin departed for LSU and stabilized a program on the verge of making its first College Football Playoff. With a coaching staff in flux, Golding led Ole Miss to a 2-1 record in the CFP, falling just short of making the national championship game. The run established Golding as the leader of the future.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss returns after passing for 3,937 yards and 22 touchdowns, and rushing for 527 yards and eight scores. Running back Kewan Lacy is back, too. He rushed for 1,567 yards and an Ole Miss-record 24 touchdowns. Both are early Heisman Trophy candidates.
The Rebels had only two players picked in the 2026 NFL Draft and supplemented the losses with the No. 2 transfer portal class, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Winning the national championship game would not be a huge leap for Ole Miss after last season.
The Rebels were one play away from reaching the national title game in 2025. If De'Zhaun Stribling had caught a heavily contested 35-yard pass in the end zone as time expired in the Fiesta Bowl, it would have been the Rebels squaring off against Indiana.
If Chambliss and Lacy stay healthy, they could lead the best offense in the nation. New offensive coordinator John David Baker's task is to keep developing those players and not completely reinvent the offense. He'll aim to seamlessly fold in receivers Johntay Cook, Darrell Gill and Caleb Cunningham.
The defense is the wild card. In the best-case scenario, Will Echoles, Kam Franklin and Suntarine Perkins return to form an excellent pass rush, and transfer linebackers Keaton Thomas (Baylor) and Luke Ferrelli (California) replace TJ Dottery's contributions in the middle of the defense after Dottery left for LSU.
If transfer cornerbacks Jalyn Crawford (Auburn) and Joenel Aguero (Georgia) excel from Week 1, it would make for an Ole Miss defense capable of winning it all.
Scenario: Ole Miss is undefeated at home, goes 11-1 in the regular season, earns a CFP bye and wins the national title behind Chambliss, who also wins the Heisman Trophy.
Any football team can unravel, but Ole Miss' path to a terrible season is narrow.
It would start at the top. The coaching staff has been overhauled. Maybe Golding gets a harsh penalty in Week 1 for his alleged tampering with Ferrelli. If he isn't allowed to coach the opener against Louisville, perhaps it leaves the Rebels susceptible to a shocking upset.
Pure talent will get them through some games, but a poor showing in close ones could tilt the season. The Rebels were 5-1 in one-possession games in the 2025 regular season; those could go the other way in 2026. It could take the form of an ill-timed interception from Chambliss, or a missed field goal from kicker Lucas Carneiro.
The pure talent not being on the field is another worst-case scenario. An injury to Chambliss would put sophomore transfer Deuce Knight in the spotlight. The backfield would take a step back without Lacy.
Of course, any worst-case scenario involves losing to LSU. Kiffin's Week 3 return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium will be one of the most anticipated regular-season college football games in recent memory. A good season won't ever be remembered as great if Ole Miss loses to the Tigers.
Scenario: Ole Miss is upset in an early game and drops enough close games to prevent a climb back into the College Football Playoff picture. Neither Chambliss nor Lacy play full seasons, and the year ends at 7-5 in a non-CFP bowl game.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How Ole Miss football can reach ceiling, avoid floor in 2026
Continue reading...
Coach Pete Golding is going into his first full season as head coach of the Rebels. He took over after Lane Kiffin departed for LSU and stabilized a program on the verge of making its first College Football Playoff. With a coaching staff in flux, Golding led Ole Miss to a 2-1 record in the CFP, falling just short of making the national championship game. The run established Golding as the leader of the future.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss returns after passing for 3,937 yards and 22 touchdowns, and rushing for 527 yards and eight scores. Running back Kewan Lacy is back, too. He rushed for 1,567 yards and an Ole Miss-record 24 touchdowns. Both are early Heisman Trophy candidates.
The Rebels had only two players picked in the 2026 NFL Draft and supplemented the losses with the No. 2 transfer portal class, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Why Ole Miss becoming the national champion is possible
Winning the national championship game would not be a huge leap for Ole Miss after last season.
The Rebels were one play away from reaching the national title game in 2025. If De'Zhaun Stribling had caught a heavily contested 35-yard pass in the end zone as time expired in the Fiesta Bowl, it would have been the Rebels squaring off against Indiana.
If Chambliss and Lacy stay healthy, they could lead the best offense in the nation. New offensive coordinator John David Baker's task is to keep developing those players and not completely reinvent the offense. He'll aim to seamlessly fold in receivers Johntay Cook, Darrell Gill and Caleb Cunningham.
The defense is the wild card. In the best-case scenario, Will Echoles, Kam Franklin and Suntarine Perkins return to form an excellent pass rush, and transfer linebackers Keaton Thomas (Baylor) and Luke Ferrelli (California) replace TJ Dottery's contributions in the middle of the defense after Dottery left for LSU.
If transfer cornerbacks Jalyn Crawford (Auburn) and Joenel Aguero (Georgia) excel from Week 1, it would make for an Ole Miss defense capable of winning it all.
Scenario: Ole Miss is undefeated at home, goes 11-1 in the regular season, earns a CFP bye and wins the national title behind Chambliss, who also wins the Heisman Trophy.
How 2026 can go wrong for Pete Golding, Rebels
Any football team can unravel, but Ole Miss' path to a terrible season is narrow.
It would start at the top. The coaching staff has been overhauled. Maybe Golding gets a harsh penalty in Week 1 for his alleged tampering with Ferrelli. If he isn't allowed to coach the opener against Louisville, perhaps it leaves the Rebels susceptible to a shocking upset.
Pure talent will get them through some games, but a poor showing in close ones could tilt the season. The Rebels were 5-1 in one-possession games in the 2025 regular season; those could go the other way in 2026. It could take the form of an ill-timed interception from Chambliss, or a missed field goal from kicker Lucas Carneiro.
The pure talent not being on the field is another worst-case scenario. An injury to Chambliss would put sophomore transfer Deuce Knight in the spotlight. The backfield would take a step back without Lacy.
Of course, any worst-case scenario involves losing to LSU. Kiffin's Week 3 return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium will be one of the most anticipated regular-season college football games in recent memory. A good season won't ever be remembered as great if Ole Miss loses to the Tigers.
Scenario: Ole Miss is upset in an early game and drops enough close games to prevent a climb back into the College Football Playoff picture. Neither Chambliss nor Lacy play full seasons, and the year ends at 7-5 in a non-CFP bowl game.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How Ole Miss football can reach ceiling, avoid floor in 2026
Continue reading...
