Ole Miss Captain Takes Responsibility for Defensive Collapse at Florida

One of Ole Miss' defensive captains is putting the blame on himself for the loss at Florida.

Florida Gators quarterback Aaron Philo throws against Mississippi Rebels cornerback Jaylon Braxton and linebacker Keaton Thomas during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last Saturday, September 26, the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels lost in embarrassing fashion to the No. 8 Florida Gators.

The Rebels' defense struggled heavily against Florida, ultimately resulting in the 52-28 loss.

Keaton Thomas, a transfer linebacker from Baylor, is putting the blame on himself and vowing to take charge in turning this season's defensive performance around.

Thomas Called the Defensive Performance "Inexcusable"

Mississippi linebacker Keaton Thomas celebrates after a play against LSU at Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Last Saturday, Florida ran for more than 300 yards against Thomas and the Rebels' defense. When asked about it, Thomas didn't sugarcoat his thoughts.

"Obviously, that's inexcusable. As the green dot, I put that solely on my back. Whether it was my mistake or somebody else's, it's my defense," Thomas said after the game.

Being the "green dot" means a player has a green sticker on his helmet indicating that he can receive radio communication from coaches on the sideline, at least until 15 seconds are left on the play clock, when that system is shut off until the next play.

Thomas also brought up the Ole Miss defense's lack of consistency, going from games like the Magnolia Bowl win over LSU to a blowout loss to Florida, and says there's no excuse to remain inconsistent after they've played four games and learned their issues.

It's one thing for the team to be aware of their struggles; it's another for Thomas to put his money where his mouth is as a leader and take steps to correct them.

How Thomas Plans to Correct the Defense Going Forward

One of the few things Thomas brought up postgame was that not everyone responded well to being called out at halftime and that it showed in the team's second-half performance.

He says he'll take steps to correct that in practice.

"I'm going to make it evident too, to call guys out and let them know that, if you don't want this, then you shouldn't have come here," Thomas said.

Thomas also said he was very confident in this defense's ability to bounce back.

"This isn't the end of the year," Thomas said. "This is one game, and to be honest, we needed this. After last week, some guys might have thought that they have arrived."

The Rebels will have a bye week this week to try and focus up on correcting their issues. The Rebels' next game is at Vanderbilt on October 10.

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