Ole Miss Football Stock Watch: Three Transfers Shining for Lane Kiffin's Program

Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels attacked the NCAA Transfer Portal during the offseason with the program reeling in the No. 1 ranked haul in America.

After losing a myriad of critical components to the Rebels' success a season ago, the offseason presented an opportunity for Ole Miss to reconstruct the roster.

Kiffin and the coaching staff in Oxford did just that with the program already reaping the benefits of its recruiting efforts during both the winter and spring Transfer Portal windows.

In Week 1 against the Georgia State Panthers, Ole Miss relied on multiple newcomers to make an instant impact where the fresh faces did just that.

Which transfer additions boosted their stock the most this past weekend at Vaught Hemingway Stadium?

Ole Miss Stock Watch: Newcomers Shine in Week 1

No. 1: WR Harrison Wallace III

Kiffin and Co. added Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Harrison Wallace III via the Transfer Portal with the program already seeing him flourish on both offense and special teams.

He's coming off of a standout debut for Kiffin's program this past weekend after leading the game in receiving yards with 130 (career-high) and a touchdown while logging five receptions.

In Saturday's Week 1 matchup against Georgia State, it marked the first time Wallace recorded at least 100 receiving yards since Week 1 of the 2024 season.

"I feel like I played really good," Wallace said following Tuesday's practice. "Left some plays out there on the field, but just wanted to do as much as I could to get the dub…As a veteran player, just the years that I've played and things I've done over time helped me learning the playbook — taking notes, things like that. I felt like it was a pretty smooth transition."

But Wallace is also impacting the game on special teams where he's fielding punts for the first time in his career.

"I wouldn't say it was something that we really talked about (during) the transfer portal window, but it's just a role I stepped into once I got here practicing and competing with the guys. I feel pretty comfortable out there," Wallace said. "Playing baseball over the years growing up — it's kind of like playing center field."

"This is literally my first time ever doing it. I was in a special teams meeting one day and then I saw my name on the depth chart. From there it was just practicing that."

No. 2: RB Kewan Lacy

Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy came out strong in his Rebels debut - finding the end zone three times and crossing the century mark on the ground with 108 yards on 16 carries.

The Missouri transfer highlighted his Rebel debut with a 42-yard breakaway touchdown to open the second half.

"Yeah, it was awesome," Kiffin said. "I mean, I'll just tell you how it is. We didn't have that, you know, a year ago, and so it was really good to have it back. I was looking forward to that.

"Kind of thinking he was going to play like that because that's how he practices, and he's got a unique skill set of speed and power. So, it's great to see where a ball can break and go score and not get caught. Makes it a lot easier not to call more plays afterwards, so that was great to see.

Lacy joined BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Scottie Phillips to become the third Rebel since 2000 with multiple rushing touchdowns in his debut.

Ole Miss finished with 295 rushing yards in total, its most since 2023 against LSU. The sophomore from Dallas was happy with his starting point in Oxford.

"It was great just experiencing it with my teammates. We had a tough fall camp, you know just being able to come out there and play a new opponent," Lacy said. "It proved to me that I can play at this level. I just still need to get better and still work every day."

No. 3: DL Da'Shawn Womack

The former five-star prospect signed with Brian Kelly's LSU program as a top-five edge rusher in America prior to making the move to Oxford.

The 6-foot-5, 265-pounder out of Maryland totaled 21 career tackles across his two seasons with LSU along with 2.5 sacks, 5 quarterback hurries and 4 pass breakups.

Now, Womack is ready to make an instant impact with the Rebels after making the move to the Magnolia State.

"We move around a lot," Womack said. "[Pete Golding] is the best in the game right now, and he can move you all over the field so you can rush the passer. [Golding] is very fun because he buys into everything we do.

"He's always on the field right there screaming at us. He's calling the plays on the field. He's running up and down the sideline with us as we celebrate and stuff."

It's be a new scheme in Oxford for Womack, but the adjustment has been smooth for the first-year Rebel as he gears up for the upcoming season.

"I'm adapting very well to a new playbook or whatever," Womack said. "Just getting a new install every day, learning the playbook, learn my job and the guys next to me, their jobs to really know what's going on in defense and just dominating every day."

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Football Fall Camp Notes: Which Quarterback Will Backup Austin Simmons?

The Preseason Coaches Poll Ranking: Ole Miss Football Comes in at No. 15

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