Ole Miss Football's Kewan Lacy Enters Rare Territory Alongside Jeremiah Smith

Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy returns to Oxford for the 2026 season after taking America by storm as one of the top offensive weapons in the nation on his way to leading the Rebels to the College Football Playoff.

Lacy proved to be one of the best rushers in the country all season long for the 13-2 Rebels - holding a season line of 306 attempts for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Once he made the decision to return in 2026, it's sent a ripple effect across the Ole Miss locker room with a myriad of players making the choice to stay in Oxford rather than enter the Transfer Portal after Lane Kiffin's departure.

“You see what Kewan is made of, what this team is made of,” Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro said following the season-ending loss to Miami in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

“It’s the reason so many guys are going to be back next year. We’re going to build on this.”

Lacy will be one of the top returning players in college football heading into the 2026 season - alongside elite quarterback Trinidad Chambliss - where he reportedly turned down more money to remain in Oxford.

Ole Miss Rebels Football: Kewan Lacy. — Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

“It was a lot of factors that came into it,” Lacy said. “There was a lot of schools, great opportunities. But I just felt like what we’ve built at Ole Miss is remarkable.

"The people we got coming back, we’ve got Trinidad [Chambliss] coming back, the receivers, and then the people we got got out of the portal for the defense, I just feel like we’re building something special.

“I trust Pete [Golding] to lead us in the right direction.”

Now, Georgia Bulldogs On SI's Brooks Austin has revealed Lacy as one of the best non-quarterbacks to return to college football in 2026 - alongside the likes of Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Miami Hurricanes pass-catcher Malachi Toney.

Top-10 Non QBs in College Football

Who’d we miss? pic.twitter.com/y9QOtwYONg
— Brooks Austin (@BrooksAustinBA) March 3, 2026

"The tug-of-war battle between Ole Miss and LSU for Lacy began as soon as coach Lane Kiffin left for Baton Rouge and officially ended Jan. 5 when the Rebels re-signed the star running back for 2026," ESPN wrote of Lacy.

"The first-team All-SEC performer enjoyed a monster year after transferring in from Missouri with 1,744 total yards and 24 touchdowns and teamed with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to help turn Ole Miss into a legitimate national title contender.

"Now they're both coming back for coach Pete Golding to try to build on last season's run to the CFP semifinals."

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Football Targeting No. 1 Prospect on Georgia Bulldogs Board Amid Strong Push

Ole Miss Football and Texas Longhorns Pushing to Flip Coveted WR Committed to SEC Foe

Ole Miss Football Among Early Leaders for Alabama Crimson Tide Running Back Target

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.