5 Bold Predictions For Ole Miss Football in 2026

Ole Miss' expectations have never been higher in program history.

The Rebels begin the year with a Heisman-caliber duo, a retooled and reformed defense, and a program-record 11-1 season under their belt.

Analysts are trying to pinpoint exactly how good this team will be, and individual records, team milestones, and potential breakout performances could really stamp Ole Miss into the history books.

Bold doesn't mean unrealistic, but the Rebels will have to stay sharp the entire season to achieve these five goals.

Ole Miss wins 12 regular-season games for the first time in program history

Ole Miss has never won 12 games in a regular season; last year's team set the record at 11-1.

Elite production is returning in Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy, along with a defense built on continuity and versatility, and one of the top transfer classes in the country, reinforcing this roster from head to toe.

However, the Rebels have a brutal nine-game SEC schedule that includes LSU, Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma. Ole Miss holds the kind of schedule that's led other outlets to predict several losses.

Going undefeated during the regular season would require Ole Miss to play perfectly against a gauntlet schedule; while not impossible, it's definitely a bold claim.

Kewan Lacy Breaks the Single-Season Rushing Yards Record

Quinshon Judkins' 1,567 yards from 2022 have stood untouched, even though Lacy had a record-breaking touchdown season last year.

Kewan Lacy will spend the full season as the unquestioned lead back, without needing to share touches the way he did in year one. John David Baker brings a pass-heavy scheme with him as the new offensive coordinator, setting up Lacy with more favorable rushing lanes and fewer stacked boxes.

Lacy's game leans more toward touchdown efficiency and red-zone work than pure yardage, not threatening the record even though he broke the touchdown record.

Lacy will have a change in how he's used, but if the offensive line question resolves itself, the tools are there to get it done.

The Ole Miss Defensive Line will lead the SEC in sacks

Ole Miss returns three key defensive linemen: Will Echols, Kam Franklin, and Suntarine Perkins. Pete Golding also added great depth pieces, including Blake Purchase from Oregon, who has shined during fall camp.

The Rebels will need to create pressure if they want to replicate the success that they had in the 2025 season.

Keaton Thomas will earn a spot on an All-SEC Team by the end of the season

The Baylor transfer was left off most preseason conference lists, but that will change soon enough. Thomas could be one of the Rebels’ best defensive players this year. He is a high-IQ player who can tackle well and clog up running lanes. Thomas will shine on the biggest stage at Ole Miss, and the college football world will know his name.

Trinidad Chambliss set new program record for single-season passing yards

Trinidad Chambliss’ 3,937 passing yards (13 starts) last season marked the third-most in program history. However, the approach for and around Chambliss is completely different from what it was a year ago.

Not only are we predicting Chambliss to surpass the numbers he put up last year, but we’re also predicting he will surpass the program’s single-season mark of 4,279 passing yards set by Jaxson Dart during the 2024 season. Unlike last season, Chambliss enters his second campaign with the Rebels as an unquestioned starter, and Ole Miss has prepared him like one.

Even with a new coaching staff, the offensive philosophy remains the same. He now has game experience at the Division I level, proving he could do it at a high level, and he went through the entire offseason with his magnified role.

That wasn’t the case going into 2025, as Chambliss arrived on campus just three months before his first start for the Rebels. At the time of his arrival, Chambliss was preparing to be a gadget player who would occasionally see the field.

We know the talent is there behind the center. The only question in my mind is whether he can accomplish this feat with the makeup of his new offensive weaponry. There are core returners like Deuce Alexander, Luke Hasz, and Caleb Odom. But how will Johntay Cook II, Horatio Fields, Darrell Gill Jr., and others come together as reliable targets through the air?

Though it could be a step down from last year’s group of receivers, I think Chambliss and his targets make it work. Ole Miss may not have a 1,000-yard receiver again this upcoming season.

Spreading the ball around will be key to keep defenses guessing.

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