Most Glaring Concern Ole Miss Football Still Hasn't Solved

The Ole Miss Rebels will be entering the 2026 season with a glaring concern that cannot be answered until the games start being played.

Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Deuce Alexander (11) attempts a catch defended by Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Ellis Robinson IV (1) in the first quarter during the 2025 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Ole Miss Rebels are nearly a week away from kicking off their season at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium versus Louisville. Aside from the ongoing litigation over eligibility for players in the 2022 class, which the SEC, among other conferences, has since addressed by passing rules barring such players from eligibility, Ole Miss's roster is set. 

However, there is still one glaring weakness the Rebels have heading into the season that wasn’t entirely addressed in the offseason, though they did attempt to do so. 

The return of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy gives the Rebels one of college football’s best one-two punches. Yet, outside of them, Ole Miss is relying on a cast of unproven playmakers to step up, more particularly at wide receiver. 

A True Committee Approach

Jan 8, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Deuce Alexander (11) against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Rebels enter the season having to replace four of their top-five pass-catchers from a season ago. The lone returner is Deuce Alexander, the former Wake Forest transfer who posted 684 yards and two touchdowns on 44 receptions last season, good enough for third on the Rebels.

Everyone else: Harrison Wallace II, De’Zhaun Stribling, and Dae’Quan Wright left for the NFL, while Cayden Lee transferred to Missouri. This left a big void in the Ole Miss offense. 

In some ways, losing all that the Rebels did at wide receiver is arguably worse than losing a single productive player. This is just a byproduct of Ole Miss's passing-game success last season. 

The Rebels didn’t beat teams through the air via one or two elite receivers. They did so with a committee approach, featuring guys all capable of making plays. Wallace and Stribling led the team, combining for 1,745 yards, but Alexander, Wright, and Lee combined for 1,954 yards. 

Together, it leaves Ole Miss looking to replace 3,000 yards of production from a season ago. Alexander’s return gives Chambliss a familiar face and someone to potentially lean on early. 

Yet, even after the transfer portal additions of Johntay Cook II, Horatio Fields, and Darrell Gill Jr., among others, the question remains of how all will fit into the offense. 

As the transfer portal has frequently shown, prior production elsewhere doesn’t always translate to producing at new schools. Under Lane Kiffin, the Rebels developed a strong track record of landing productive receivers out of the transfer portal. 

Now, with Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr. off to Baton Rouge, the onus will fall on offensive coordinator John David-Baker.

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