2026 Mizzou Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 7: Ole Miss

Missouri and Ole Miss have not played each other since the 2019 season and have only matched up eight times ever. With the two teams set to play during Week 7, the matchup could not have come at a more crucial moment.

The Tigers historically lead the series 7-1, with every victory coming by at least 11 points. Prior to this year, the games had been forgettable, but now with Missouri adding three former Ole Miss players to its 2026 roster, the tension is expected to heighten.

Coming off its best finish in school history, Ole Miss returned a ton of talent from last year, while Missouri retooled a majority of its roster.

The Tigers will visit Ole Miss at Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Week 7 in what's expected to be the most anticipated matchup between these two teams and one of Missouri's most daunting games of the 2026 season. Here's an early projection of how Missouri matches up with the Rebels.

Offense

Trinidad Chambliss celebrates a play during the Fiesta Bowl. — Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) celebrates a play during the CFP Fiesta Bowl against Miami at the State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Ariz., on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. | Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ole Miss was one of the top offenses in the SEC and the country last year. The squad ranked first in passing yards per game and third in points and touchdowns in the conference. As for overall production, the Rebels' 489.7 yards per game ranked second in the entire country.

That offensive firepower translated to overall success on the field, as Ole Miss became one of four teams in the SEC to make the College Football Playoff. The Rebels became the only SEC team to make the semifinals after securing their first and second-ever playoff victories.

A majority of that success came from quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a stacked room of wide receivers and running back Kewan Lacy. The Rebels are returning Chambliss after receiving one last year of eligibility and Lacy before the potential first-round pick likely enters the 2027 NFL draft.

Although the Rebels are returning big names and critical players to aid in overall success, there are still multiple unknowns for Ole Miss, which starts with the wide receiver room. After becoming the most successful passing team in the SEC, the Rebels are only returning one of their top five players in receiving yards.

The losses of Harrison Wallace III and De'Zhaun Stribling to the NFL are huge, as the receivers combined for over 1,700 yards and 10 touchdowns during the 2025 season. Another loss at the wide receiver position for Ole Miss was Cayden Lee, who transferred to Missouri after accumulating 635 receiving yards and three scores with the Rebels.

Ole Miss will likely rely on Deuce Alexander, who ranked third in receiving yards with 684 last year and a rather young receiving room alongside Alexander. Fortunately for the Rebels, Alexander and Chambliss had a lot of success together last year and Chambliss is a top-tier quarterback proven by his eighth-place finish in Heisman voting.

Ole Miss will also be tasked with filling two vacant offensive tackle spots, including current Arizona Cardinal Jayden Williams. But with John David Baker returning after serving as co-offensive coordinator in 2022-23, the Rebels are set for another strong year on offense.

Defense

Princewill Umanmielen celebrates. — Ole Miss Rebels linebacker Princewill Umanmielen (1) celebrates his sack against the Miami Hurricanes during their Vrbo Fiesta Bowl matchup at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 8, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ole Miss's defense ranked in the middle of the pack in the SEC last year. With such an explosive offense, the Rebels didn't need to be a world beater on the other side of the field, as shown in a 39-34 quarterfinal playoff win against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Now, under Pete Golding, the Rebels' defense may be taking a step up in the 2026 season. After former head coach Lane Kiffin departed for LSU, Golding took over at the helm during the 2025 playoffs and outperformed expectations.

The former defensive coordinator will lead an Ole Miss team that is not just loaded offensively but defensively as well. Patrick Toney, a former NFL defensive backs coach, took over as the defensive coordinator. The combination further provides speculation that the Rebels could become one of the SEC's premier defenses.

Ole Miss's biggest loss in the offseason was defensive end Princewill Umanmielen, who led the team with nine sacks last year. Despite this, the Rebels return the next three leaders in sacks, including defensive tackle standout Will Echoles and were very successful in the transfer portal.

Key additions in the portal include linebacker Blake Purchase from Oregon, linebacker Keaton Thomas from Baylor and defensive back Sharif Denson from Florida.

There is not a glaring issue for Ole Miss in any facet of its defensive unit and for Missouri to succeed, they will need to attack the 4-2-5 system set in place by the Rebels. With a high-profile running game, the Tigers have a chance to upset this system, but the Rebels won't make it easy.

Schedule

Missouri will be hitting the road for just the second time in conference play, while Ole Miss will be returning home for the first time in nearly a month.

A rowdy Ole Miss crowd should be expected, with the Rebels likely coming into the game either undefeated or with just one loss, which would most likely make the game a must-win for the Rebels. The SEC opponents Ole Miss will face prior to Missouri are LSU at home and Vanderbilt and Florida on the road.

Missouri will be coming off its first game of the season that it is expected to be favored against, as they host Texas A&M. Pending the result of the Aggies game, this contest could be seen as a make-or-break situation for Missouri.

Outlook

Ole Miss is expected to be one of the top teams in college football in the 2026 season and this will likely be the most difficult road game for the Tigers behind Georgia. A win at Ole Miss would swing the pendulum for the Missouri Tigers and be the ultimate stab to the Rebels after securing Chambliss, Lee and cornerback Chris Graves Jr. from the Rebels in the transfer portal this past offseason.

Game Info

Date: Saturday, Oct 17
Time: TBD
TV: TBD
Location: Vaught Hemingway Stadium
in Oxford, Mississippi
Series history: Missouri leads 7-1

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