OXFORD – Kickoff against Louisville is only four months away.
Coming off the winningest season in program history and the school’s first College Football Playoff appearance, Ole Miss (13-2 in 2025) recently finished its first spring under head coach Pete Golding, who was elevated to permanent head coach in late November following Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU.
Expectations are high in Oxford given the returns of star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, running back Kewan Lacy, defensive linemen Kam Franklin and Will Echoles and linebacker Suntarine Perkins, among others.
Here is what we learned about the 2026-27 Rebels this spring.
We need to look out for the running back room
We already know how great Lacy is: he tied the Ole Miss record with 1,567 rushing yards and set the program record with 24 rushing touchdowns. He was a Doak Walker Award finalist, the first in Rebels history. He’s likely going to be up for as many awards as his quarterback (more on him later). Lacy led the nation with 306 carries a season ago; the next closest player on the Rebels was Chambliss’ 133 carries, and the closest running back was Logan Diggs and his 33 carries.
This offseason, Ole Miss seemed determined to split that load up a bit with a few key transfer portal additions. Makhi Frazier ran for 520 yards last year at Michigan State. Joshua Dye ran for 1,831 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2025 at Southern Utah. JT Lindsey was a four-star prospect in the 2025 class. And that’s without mentioning former four-star recruit Shekai Mills-Knight, who had eight carries as a true freshman.
“I think it’s the best room in the country,” Frazier said this spring.
It’s still going to be Lacy’s show. But he’ll have a lot of help in the backfield.
Year 2 of Chambliss could be special
Chambliss didn’t arrive at Ole Miss last season until after spring practice had already ended. He didn’t become the Rebels’ starting quarterback until Week 3 following an injury to Austin Simmons. He finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was third nationally with 3,937 passing yards.
Chambliss figures to fit seamlessly into new offensive coordinator John David Baker’s scheme, as it’s cut from the same cloth as former coworker Charlie Weis Jr.’s. Chambliss was already someone players rallied behind, but it’s become even more evident given how teammates speak about him.
“He talks to everyone. He’s a great teammate. You love being around him. But he’s definitely stepped it up a notch with his presence,” senior tight end Luke Hasz said. “You can tell he expects perfection every single day. And that’s something that is huge for us.”
Ole Miss might have the best specialists in the country
Lucas Carneiro has a legitimate claim to being the nation’s top kicker after hitting 31 of 35 field goals last season. His heroics in the Sugar Bowl and his 58-yarder in the Fiesta Bowl turned him into a household name. There’s no reason to think he won’t be just as good in final college season.
Don’t sleep on Carneiro’s roommate, punter Oscar Bird, though. As a first-year player a season ago, the Australia native averaged 46 yards per punt. That number would have placed in the top-15 nationally had Bird punted enough to qualify.
“I got here January last year. … It was just learning everything. It was my first time over here playing American football,” Bird said. “So to be a part of the team last season and get to ride that journey with them was more than I could ever imagine. It was pretty surreal, to be honest.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 24 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
