Ole Miss Football Star Weapon Among Early Front-Runners for 2026 Heisman Trophy

Pete Golding and Co. will look to retain the impressive offensive weapon, labeled an early front-runner by CBS Sports.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Ole Miss Rebels running back Kewan Lacy rewrote the record books in Oxford across his first season with the program in 2025.

Lacy became the first Doak Walker finalist in the history of Ole Miss football where he was ultimately joined on the final cut this year by Missouri's Ahmad Hardy and Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love.

The Missouri Tigers transfer has been one of the best rushers in the nation all season long for the 11-1 Rebels, currently holding a season line of 258 attempts for 1,279 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Those 19 rushing scores shattered the previous single-season record at Ole Miss of 16 set by Quinshon Judkins in 2022, and it also gave him the all-purpose touchdown record of 17 that was set four times previously by Judkins (2022, '23), Brandon Bolden (2010) and Deuce McAllister (2000).

At 19 rushing scores, Lacy is already tied for 10th in Ole Miss career history, and he is one rushing touchdown shy of tying for 10th in SEC single-season history and becoming one of only 12 rushers in conference history to have 20 rushing scores in a year.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Lacy has received significant recognition in 2025 with the Rebels cementing their status as a College Football Playoff contender after earning the No. 6 seed in the 12-team bracket - hosting the Tulane Green Wave on Dec. 20 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Now, after Saturday night's 2025 Heisman Trophy cerermony with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza taking home the hardware, the early 2026 front-runners have been revealed by CBS Sports.

Lacy cracked CBS Sports' initial list alongside multiple elite players sitting alongside him.

"Lacy ranks second in the FBS in rushing touchdowns with 20 after emerging as one of the sport's top breakout stars," CBS Sports wrote. "The Missouri transfer is averaging five yards per carry and also has 25 receptions."

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

The Ole Miss Rebels will look to keep Lacy in Oxford this offseason after a strong 2025 season in hopes of avoiding the NCAA Transfer Portal.

But as it stands, all eyes will be on the coveted running back heading into next fall after a monstrous first season in the Magnolia State.

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