As the 2026 college football season approaches, all eyes are on Pete Golding and Ole Miss. After a standout 13-2 record and a CFP semifinal appearance last season, expectations are high that the Rebels can repeat that strong showing despite the departure of former head coach Lane Kiffin.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is back after a dramatic legal battle with the NCAA in state court, while running back Kewan Lacy returns after a 24-touchdown season. There’s plenty of reason for optimism that the Rebels could have one of the SEC’s premier offenses again this season, despite a brutal conference schedule on the horizon. Questions remain about how Golding will handle head-coaching responsibilities in Year 1.
Here are five bold predictions for Ole Miss in 2026.
5 Bold Predictions for Ole Miss for the 2026 College Football Season
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Ole Miss Will Not Make the 12-Team Playoff
In 2025, Ole Miss rode an 11-1 regular-season record to a College Football Playoff appearance. It was the winningest season in school history by a wide margin. This season, the Rebels will play the role of the hunted, not the hunter, and won’t achieve the same level of success.
The schedule is an absolute gauntlet. Ole Miss has a difficult early test against ACC foe Louisville, before SEC games against LSU, Florida, Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma. Even the most optimistic Rebel fans must admit that’s a doozy of a slate.
With the amount of returning talent, traditional wisdom suggests the Rebels will be good again. But that slate could complicate matters in a big way. In all likelihood, Ole Miss will lose between three and four conference games and just miss out on a College Football Playoff berth.
Kewan Lacy Will Be the Best Running Back in College Football
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Lacy dominated the SEC last season, tallying over 1,500 yards and 24 touchdowns. He runs with a unique blend of speed and power, making him a prototypical modern running back.
It remains to be seen how new offensive coordinator John David Baker utilizes Lacy in 2026. Baker comes from a pass-heavy East Carolina program, but spent time at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin years earlier.
Last season, Lacy averaged just shy of 22 carries per game. There’s reason to believe he can take on an even greater workload this season, even with Chambliss back at the quarterback position. He has all the tools to be the best running back in college football, and he’ll prove it this season.
Trinidad Chambliss Will Throw for the Second-Most Yards in the SEC
Chambliss was the hottest quarterback in college football down the stretch of last season, not named Fernando Mendoza. In the CFP quarterfinal, he shredded Georgia for 362 yards, and at one point, completed 13 straight passes. It was one of the best performances from a quarterback we’ve seen in the sport in quite some time.
Kiffin and former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. are gone, but there’s reason for optimism that in John David Baker’s system, Chambliss will flourish as the full-time starter.
In 2026, Texas quarterback Arch Manning will throw for the most yards in the SEC. Chambliss will build off last season’s 3,900-yard season and finish with the second-most passing yards in the SEC this season.
Ole Miss Will Lose Its Highly Anticipated Matchup Against Former Head Coach Lane Kiffin
All eyes will be on Oxford, Mississippi, on Sept. 19 when Kiffin and LSU come to town.
The Ole Miss fans will be raucous. The atmosphere will border on toxic. The Rebels will have revenge on their minds. And Golding will undoubtedly want to get one over on his old boss.
But it won’t matter for the Tigers. Led by former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt and an army of highly-touted transfers, the Tigers will play hard for their new head coach and knock off the Rebels in exciting fashion.
LSU’s offense will give Golding’s defense fits. Blake Baker’s defense will contain the combo of Chambliss and Lacy. And LSU will win by a thin margin.
No pressure, Ole Miss.
Ole Miss Will Finish 8-4, But Knock Off Oklahoma in Norman
Ole Miss faces a daunting SEC slate that features high-profile matchups against LSU, Florida, Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma. The pressure will be on for Golding to deliver in Year 1.
The Rebels will be good this season. Chambliss and Lacy will be one of the best one-two combos in all of college football. But that brutal schedule, coupled with a brand-new coaching staff, could spell trouble for the win column.
Ole Miss will lose tough games against Texas and Georgia as slight underdogs. Games against LSU and Florida might be toss-ups. But against a Brent Venables-led Oklahoma team, the Rebels will edge out the Sooners in a rock fight and finish with a respectable, but slightly underwhelming, 8-4 regular season in Golding’s debut season.
