By Billy Watkins
To kick off the college football season at Mississippi Scoreboard, here are eight things I think about the No. 9-ranked Ole Miss Rebels. The season opener is Sunday, Sept. 6 against Louisville in Nashville.
But first, a reminder: While expectations are high among players and fans — much higher than the usual August euphoria of starting with a fresh slate — the schedule is a landmine.
One thing I would recommend: While fretting about each week’s opponent, don’t forget to appreciate what you’re watching. Enjoy the fact that you have a rare combination of a preseason All-American quarterback and a preseason All-American running back. Few, if any other teams, have a combination like Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy.
After the Rebels’ run to the College Football Playoffs’ semifinals, both probably could’ve made more NIL money elsewhere. They stayed at Ole Miss. They never wavered. Appreciate that, too.
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Eight Things I Think About the 2026 Ole Miss Rebels
***THIS OLE MISS TEAM HAS THE COMBINATION OF SIZE AND ATHLETICISM LIKE I’VE NEVER SEEN IN OXFORD.
At practice earlier this month, I was astounded by the size of the overall team, but especially the defensive linemen. And those huge guys can move. Head coach Pete Golding said the Rebels’ defensive front ran out of gas after playing too many snaps in the semifinal loss to Miami. He wanted to add big defensive tackles who could rotate in, prevent late-game fatigue and help stop the run.
Will Echoles and Kam Franklin are juniors who signed here out of high school. They were difference makers a year ago and should be better this season.
In the SEC, it’s hard to win without a great defensive line with depth. Ole Miss seems to have checked that box.
***THE OFFENSIVE LINE WILL BE BETTER THAN MANY MIGHT THINK
Brycen Sanders returns at center, and it’s hard to communicate how valuable he is to the line. He is joined by the same two guards he played between last year, Delano Townsend and Patrick Kutas, the 2025 winner of the Kent Hull Trophy as Mississippi’s top collegiate offensive lineman.
The newbies will be at tackle, but I would be careful to underestimate them. Terez Davis showed his ability when playing in the “jumbo” package last season and Tommy Kinsler played behind a Top 10 NFL draft pick at Miami. Also, don’t rule out LSU transfer Carius Curne, who has had to overcome injury and off the field issues. Curne started several games for the Tigers a year ago as a freshman. He has work to do but he is showing progress.
And like the defensive line, this group is made up of large humans who can stand up against SEC fronts.
***THE KICKING GAME WILL BE THE DIFFERENCE IN AT LEAST THREE VICTORIES THIS YEAR
A year ago, Australian punter Oscar Bird had never seen a college football game and we were still learning how to spell transfer Lucas Carneiro’s name. Bird averaged 46 yards per punt, second-best in the SEC, and Carneiro made every extra-point attempt, 31 of 35 field goals — including 55- and 56-yarders before threading a 47-yard kick to beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and CFP quarterfinals.
You won’t make the playoffs without a punter who can flip the field and a placekicker who can be trusted under pressure. Ole Miss has one of each.
***INSIDE LINEBACKER WILL BE A PLUS POSITION THIS SEASON
For whatever reason,Ole Miss has struggled to consistently recruit top tier players in recent years.
Golding fixed that problem through the portal, bringing in Keaton Thomas (240 pounds) from Baylor and Luke Ferrelli (230) from Cal. Thomas made 106 and 114 tackles in back-to-back seasons. Ferrelli earned freshman All-America honors last season and made 87 tackles. That’s not potential, that’s both of them on tape.
Also, don’t forget about Tah’j Butler, a 235-pound transfer from Georgia Tech who made 59 tackles a year ago. Golding also likes redshirt freshman Jarcoby Hopson (230), who played quarterback and free safety at Lake Cormorant High School
Of all the players, Golding said this week that Hopson made the most strides from last fall to this fall.
***ONE OF THE BIGGEST QUESTION MARKS IS HOW WILL OLE MISS HANDLE ITS FIRST LOSS
With the SEC going to nine league games this year, I seriously doubt there will be an undefeated team in the conference.
Will players lose confidence? Will they begin pressing, trying to play perfect?
After losing to Georgia at midseason last year, the Rebels bounced back more eager than ever to stay on track for the playoffs. If and when that loss comes, this year’s bunch must handle it the same way.
And how will the fans react? The message boards and other social media can get ugly after a spoiled weekend. Will the fans keep their heads on straight and realize that one loss, probably two, won’t end a team’s dream of playing for the national championship? Believe it or not, players read what fans post.
***KEWAN LACY WILL ONCE AGAIN RUSH FOR MORE THAN 1,000 YARDS AND MICHIGAN STATE TRANSFER MAKHI FRAZIER WILL RUSH FOR MORE THAN 400.
Lacy is tough, hits a hole with no hesitation and seems to like contact. He also has breakaway speed, which he showed on numerous occasions last year. A running back needs a few long TD runs to top 1,000, and Lacy can get those.
Ole Miss’ running back room is full of potential , but Frazier has been there, done that. At 225 pounds, Frazier led the 4-8 Spartans in rushing a year ago with 520 yards and gained 109 yards against Michigan.
A quality back like Frazier can help keep Lacy fresh over the course of a season.And I expect another runner to emerge during the season.
***QUARTERBACK TRINIDAD CHAMBLISS, A POPULAR HEISMAN TROPHY CANDIDATE, MUST IGNORE THE EXPECTATIONS THAT OTHERS HAVE PLACED ON HIM.
I am not a Trinidad doubter. He made plays last year that only a handful of people in the world could make. But expectations can be a monster. They whisper to you when a few things go wrong. They can make a player try to do too much, which leads to more problems.
My belief is that Trinidad’s faith, maturity level and his elite athleticism will be enough to keep him grounded during the rough patches. And every player has them.
I wouldn’t trade him for any other quarterback in the country. He’s at the right place at the right time with the right coaches — especially his position coach, Joe Judge, a guy Trinidad raves about at every opportunity.
***GOLDING, STARTING HS FIRST REGULAR SEASON AS HEAD COACH AFTER LEADING THE REBELS THROUGH THEIR PAYOFF RUN, WILL NOT PUT THE DEFENSE IN POOR SITUATIONS BY GOING FOR IT ON FOURTH DOWN.
Sure, there are times to go for it. But Golding’s predecessor, Lane Kiffin, went for it when it made no sense — no matter what his analytics card said.
Ole Miss beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl because Golding took the points when they were available, via Carneiro’s right foot. He will do so again this year.
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