Every Position Battle That Will Define Ole Miss's Season

With Ole Miss coming into the 2026 football season carrying College Football Playoff aspirations following their trip to the semifinals the previous year, there are two position showdowns set to take place during training camp that will help decide whether or not the Rebels are equipped to make the necessary moves forward.

Despite having a roster full of proven players for the most part, Golding and staff will need to sort out a couple of things heading into their season-opener versus Louisville.

Offensive Position Battle: Offensive Line

Most crucially, in terms of competition on offense, it will not be at the positions of quarterback and running back but rather on the offensive line. Ole Miss possesses perhaps the most dynamic backfield in the nation with their quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy, but the biggest challenge in the upcoming fall camp will be in providing protection for these two. There is a lot of uncertainty with several open starting positions at this point on the offensive line.

The Rebels have brought back center Brycen Sanders, which is huge for Chambliss, as he already has a year of experience with him under center, but the rest of the offensive line is wide open for Pete Golding and John Baker to choose from.

Ole Miss brought in four offensive linemen from the transfer portal: Carius Curne (from LSU), Troy Everett (from Oklahoma), Tommy Kinsler IV (from Miami), and Enoch Wagnoy (from Florida).

Right now, the starting front is looking like Sanders at Center, Patrick Kutas and Delano Townsend at the guard positions, and a battle for the starting tackle position between Carius Curne and Tommy Kinsler. IV, Terez Davis, and Enoch Wangoy. If they want to make any playoff run, the Rebels cannot have inconsistency at the offensive line position.

Defensive Position Battle: Cornerback

Defensively, the key position is at cornerback, which will feature a number of talented transfer portal pickups fighting for starting spots within Pete Golding's blitz-happy defensive scheme. While the Rebels have arguably one of the best front sevens in college football, with players like Suntarine Perkins and Will Echoles spearheading the group, the secondary has a lot to prove.

The Rebels have been able to bring in some good transfer players such as Jaylon Braxton and Edwin Joseph, with others still trying to make a name for themselves by earning playing time. In Golding's scheme, the cornerbacks need to be strong enough man-to-man, which will allow other defensive players to blitz against the quarterback.

The winner of these cornerback competitions will not just get the starting job—his performance will dictate how aggressive Ole Miss' defense is able to play all year. With dependable cornerbacks to complement the great pass rush they have, Ole Miss will have one of the most complete defenses in the SEC again.

When you combine this with an offensive line that lives up to its full potential, these two competitions alone could very well decide if Ole Miss gets to the Playoff or wins the national championship.

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