Ole Miss Football Targets Historic Transfer Portal Milestone During Chaotic Stretch

Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels will be big spenders in the NCAA Transfer Portal next month with the window set to open on Jan. 2 to kick off a two-week stretch.

In what will be a chaotic period on the college football calendar, Golding and Co. will look to both retain critical components of the 2026 roster while stack talent via the free agent market.

The first step is to keep Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy in Oxford after a historic season with the program.

The Missouri Tigers transfer has taken on a significant workload for the Rebels where his meteoric rise catapulted his status to a Doak Award finalist - annually given to America's top running back.

Lacy was named a first team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America last week after a historic 2025 campaign.

It became the sixth All-America honor for Lacy, who was also the first Doak Walker Award finalist in Ole Miss history.

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

Lacy has been a second-team honoree on other All-America teams released by the Associated Press, AFCA, The Sporting News, Walter Camp and Sports Info Solutions. Lacy has also been a first-team All-SEC running back for both the AP and the league coaches.

The Ole Miss star running back has been one of the best rushers in the nation all season long for the 12-1 Rebels, currently holding a season line of 258 attempts for 1,279 yards and 21 touchdowns.

But there remains buzz surrounding Lacy's future in Oxford amid Lane Kiffin's move from Ole Miss to LSU this fall.

Now, with Lacy's former head coach, offensive coordinator, and position coach on staff with the LSU program, there is concern surrounding his future in Oxford.

Despite the outside chatter, the Ole Miss Rebels aren't going down without a fight, according to multiple reports, with the program offering a significant NIL package in hopes of having him back for the 2026 season.

According to LouisianaSports.net, the Ole Miss Rebels are offering a $1.8 million deal to get him back next fall:

"Lacy has not declared his intention to enter the portal, however, a video surfaced of a phone conversation where Kiffin suggested Smith and Lacy would be joining him at LSU.

"LouisianaSports.net previously reported Ole Miss has offered Lacy $1.8 million to return to the Rebels in 2026."

If the Rebels were to retain Lacy while utilize other funds to reconstruct the roster at other positions of need, Golding will have achieved a historic feat in Oxford as the new era of Ole Miss Football prepares to unfold in 2026.

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