Following Shoulder Surgery, Ole Miss Has New Approach For Kewan Lacy

OXFORD | Kewan Lacy is undeniably one of the most talented running backs to ever come through Oxford. It took just one season for Ole Miss’ superstar to establish that.

Now, heading into his second season with the Rebels, the junior running back eyes the 2027 NFL Draft and wants to be in contention to win the Heisman Trophy by the end of the year. When Lacy burst onto the national scene last fall, he rushed for 1,567 yards (tied program record) and scored 24 touchdowns (program record) while receiving 335 total offensive touches (306 carries).

However, ahead of the anticipated 2026 season for Lacy and the Rebels, some adjustments to his role have been under construction throughout the offseason.

Baker's pitch

Nov 15, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Lane Kiffin embraces running back Kewan Lacy (5) after defeating the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Monday, new offensive coordinator John David Baker noted that Lacy’s usage could look a little different this fall. In fact, it was the focal point of his pitch in order to help retain Lacy.

After enduring a shoulder injury against Tulane in the first round of the College Football Playoffs last winter, Lacy underwent offseason surgery to address the lingering issue.

“I don’t want him to carry that ball that much. Now, to me, the difference is carries and touches. Like, is he going to get the same amount of touches? Yes. But in different ways because to me running that ball that many times between the tackles, you’re going to break and he did,” Baker explained following Monday’s practice. “He had to have shoulder surgery in the offseason. My deal is he can’t do that again, that’s hard.

" ... The shelf life for a running back is short as it is and that was my sell to him in December as far as the (retention) piece. ‘Hey man, you’re not going to have the same amount of carries, but you are going to have the same amount of touches and you’re going to touch the ball in different ways that’s going to allow your skill set to be used in different ways’. That was something that I think intrigued him."

"The other piece is we’ve got really good backs. We’ve got a good running back room of guys that can carry the load and take some load off of him, to where we can move him around and do different things with him.”

Lacy has fully recovered this summer and has been a full practice participant through fall camp thus far.

Last week, the Rebels’ star runner was asked about the possibility of a lighter workload within the backfield and welcomed the idea as well, backing what Baker said this week.

“I feel like either way, I’m going to be happy. I feel like if the team wins, that’s a good game for me,” Lacy said last week. “Just having those extra legs as well is just a blessing — to have a rotation and other people to go in there and make explosive plays. It’s definitely going to be different from last year.”

“I feel like for the most part we kept everything similar scheme wise. I feel like not too much has changed, just a couple more explosive pieces added to the team. It’s going to be a good year.”

While Lacy was held out for most of spring camp during March and April because of the clean up procedure, Michigan State transfer Makhi Frazier got accustomed to working with the starting offensive unit. As a sophomore with the Spartans in 2025, Frazier led the team in rushing yards with 520 on 116 carries (4.5 YPC) and scored two touchdowns.

Lacy also offered his evaluation of Frazier, who he expects to bring ‘juice’ to the Rebels offensive backfield.

“I feel like he’s a great addition to the running back room. He’s smart, he knows football and he’s very fast and physical,” Lacy said of Frazier. “He’s definitely gonna add some juice to the backfield. We definitely pick each other’s brain, try to help each other out and be in the best position even when we’re not on the field. I feel like we both pick from each other.”

Lacy and the Rebels are under a month away from opening the 2026 season against Louisville in Nashville at Nissan Stadium.

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