Return of the Rebels
Backed by a laser-focused coach, an experienced offensive duo and diehard fans, Ole Miss Football is primed to go all the way.
Written by Eugene Stockstill | Photos by Bruce Newman and Joe Worthem
Ole Miss fans need no reminder of how close the Rebels came to hoisting the big prize last season. Or how much seems to be riding on this upcoming one. Just ask athletic director Keith Carter.
“We were 18 seconds away from playing for a national championship,” Carter said. “Miami was good. They made a great play.”
Carter, of course, is talking about Carson Beck’s dramatic 3-yard run that pushed Miami past the Rebels in a nail-biter of a semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl. Indiana went on to beat Miami for the national title.
Coming that close to glory a few months ago has only whetted the appetites of the team going into September, Carter said.
“If you don’t believe it and talk about it, it’s not going to happen,” he said. “They’re talking about winning a national championship.”
As of this writing, Ole Miss was ranked No. 9 in the nation in the AP Top 25 preseason poll and No. 10 in the AFCA coaches poll — and that’s as a part of one of the most competitive geographical regions in the country. In July, the SEC preseason media poll predicted the Rebels to finish third in the conference. The SEC demands a laser-like focus from week to week just to survive, coach Pete Golding said.
“We’ve got Louisville, who’s a Top 25 team, in a neutral site (Nashville) to open this thing up,” Golding said. “If we’re worried about anyone outside of Louisville, you better hold on.”
One of the bigger stories this season is that returning quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy not only pack a wallop for the team’s offense but also give the school two legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates. Red, white and blue signs touting “Trinidad Kewan ’26” started circulating back in midsummer.
So how exactly do you cope with the tensions of a brand-new season on the heels of last year’s big run, especially considering that hated LSU comes to town in week three?
“It takes what we already know,” Lacy said during a press conference in July. “Preparation, work, being dialed in.”
Chambliss, whose return to Ole Miss has generated big headlines, made an appearance on the program SEC Now a few weeks ago. He said that last season has become almost pure motivation for the Rebels.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to come back to Ole Miss,” he said. “I feel like we have unfinished business. Last year was last year. We went far, but we’re hungry for more.”
It doesn’t take an advanced degree to recognize the importance of Chambliss and Lacy.
“We can speak to what we see on the field, and the explosive nature of those guys,” Carter said. “They’re just two quality men, good teammates, good in the community. Those guys could have gone probably anywhere in the country that they wanted.”
Ole Miss has a total of 17 players returning, including 10 starters, as well as 52 new faces.
One noteworthy portal addition is Keaton Thomas, a standout linebacker who left Baylor for Oxford. Returning is placer-kicker Lucas Carnerio, who has a reputation for scoring big points from 40 or more yards away.
The enthusiasm among returning players has been building ever since Pete Golding slid into the driver’s seat as the head coach down the stretch last fall, when Carter said what looked like a disaster turned into a perfect storm of opportunity for the Rebels.
“It was a trying and challenging time,” Carter said. “I couldn’t be more excited about Coach Golding. He had a long-term vision for Ole Miss. It was a perfect fit.”
In advance of this season, Carter, Golding and several players embarked on a six-stop, three-week “Rebel Road Trip” to energize fans who repeatedly proved their loyalty to the Rebels at the end of last season.
“What I thought was so cool was the support from (the fans). I got a ton of text messages that I, unfortunately, was not able to answer.”
At least, he said, not all at once.
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