Breakout Candidates: Who Can Make an Impact For Ole Miss Football in 2025?

Here are three players who could have breakout years for the Ole Miss Rebels in 2025.

Nov 2, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons (13) during the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mississippi won 63-31. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels fell short of their College Football Playoff dreams in 2024, but the 2025 season will be here before we know it. Ole Miss will not only be seeking a CFP berth this fall, but it will also have an opportunity to secure its fourth 10-plus-win season in the last five years.

In order to reach these goals, some new faces will have to step up in a big way on the gridiron. The Rebels roster will feature a ton of new faces on all sides of the football (whether they're from the transfer portal or prep class), and there are also some returners on the team who will feature more prominently in the game plan each week.

With this in mind, who are some breakout candidates for Ole Miss in 2025? Let's take a look at three below.

QB Austin Simmons

Simmons is clearly a candidate for this list as he will likely be the new quarterback leading the Ole Miss offense in 2025. The Jaxson Dart era in Oxford was a special one for Rebel fans, but that time has come to a close, and now is Simmons' time to shine.

A native of Pahokee, Fla., Simmons was rated as a four-star prospect coming out of high school, and he began his career at Ole Miss as a two-sport athlete, suiting up for the football and baseball teams. Now, he has opted to leave baseball behind and focus solely on football, and that move should pay off as the Rebels prepare for their 2025 schedule.

In order for Ole Miss to avoid taking a step back in 2025, Simmons will need to have a big first year as the starter. Since he has seen limited game action behind Dart, he is the poster child for a potential breakout star for the Rebels this fall as they seek to keep their program momentum moving in the right direction.

RB Shekai Mills-Knight

It's no secret that Ole Miss' running game was subpar for much of the 2024 season. The Rebels' game plan in short-yardage situations essentially revolved around giving the ball to defensive tackle JJ Pegues, and while that worked in many cases, it doesn't seem like a sustainable model moving forward.

Mills-Knight will probably share carries with names like Logan Diggs and Kewan Lacy, but the Ole Miss coaching staff is high on his talents. A four-star prospect out of the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mills-Knight committed to the Rebels before the 2024 season began, and he should factor into the offensive game plan in 2025.

The Rebels' running back room will look different than it did a season ago, and having a strong running game can help break in a new quarterback. Look for Ole Miss to rely on this freshman early and often in 2025.

EDGE Princewill Umanmielen

The Umanmielen name has the potential to be a memorable one for Rebel fans when it's all said and done. Princely Umanmielen spent one year in Oxford on the defensive front, and he is now bound for the NFL. But in comes his younger brother Princewill at the same position, and his ceiling is rather high.

The sophomore from Austin, Texas, spent his first two seasons at Nebraska before transferring to the Rebels on Dec. 14. In his time with the Cornhuskers, Umanmielen recorded 35 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a pass deflection. He appeared in 17 total games for Nebraska over the past two seasons.

Now that he has matured as a player, expect Umanmielen to see plenty of playing time alongside fellow pass rushers Da'Shawn Womack (an LSU transfer) and Suntarine Perkins (an Ole Miss returner who has blossomed into a star). If these names can perform at a high level in 2025, the Rebels defense should remain formidable.