Ole Miss Football Offseason Recap: Where the Rebels Improved and Where They Didn’t

Ole Miss has reloaded in the portal and has given this Rebels team great depth.

Pete Golding knew coming into the 2026 season that his team would need to get guys who could contribute without being every-down starters. It was evident in the playoffs last year that a lot of Rebel starters couldn’t perform at their highest level because of how much they have been on the field.

Golding saw that issue and fixed it with some great portal additions that improved a lot of areas on the field.

Offseason improvements

Mississippi Rebels linebacker Suntarine Perkins against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Rebels added a lot of players in the portal this offseason, and most of them will see the field in their first year at Ole Miss, some as starters and some as key rotation pieces.

The biggest thing Golding added to this squad was depth. Players like Will Echoles and Suntarine Perkins saw the field a lot last year. They are both great players, but like any other player, they need their time on the sideline.

Luckily for them, the Rebels went out and got guys who can help split the load.

Perkins and Echoles will be stars on the Rebels' defense this year, and the five new defensive linemen coming to Oxford will help them shine.

Perkins and Echoles will still be on the field for most of the game, but will get subbed out to allow them to catch their breath and be closer to 100 % in the late stages of games.

Another workhorse from last year was running back Kewan Lacy.

Lacy had 1500 yards on 306 carries last season. The second-string running back Logan Diggs only had 33 carries. Golding added three new running backs from the portal who can come in for Lacy when he needs a breather.

These depth players will allow stars on both sides of the ball to be fresher at the end of games. This will allow those players to make big-time plays and be the reason the Rebels walk out of games with a victory.

Where the question remains

Syracuse Orange wide receiver Darrell Gill Jr. tries to avoid a tackle | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The one area that remains a mystery for the Rebels is their receiving core. Other than Deuce Alexander, Ole Miss lost every pass catcher from last year.

They have added Darrell Gill Jr. and Johntay Cook II from Syracuse, but both have a lot to prove for Ole Miss.

They had great seasons at Syracuse last year, but will face much tougher teams this year. Alexander and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will have to prepare them both for what's to come from SEC opponents this upcoming season.

Ole Miss has added a lot of new faces to their team. All of whom could make a big splash or important contributions in their first year in Oxford.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google