Ole Miss Running Back Depth Deserves a Longer Look During the Bye

Ole Miss invested heavily into the running back room this past offseason. With a bye week ahead, can this room get more involved with the offense?

Sep 6, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Ole Miss Rebels running back Makhi Frazier (25) runs with the ball against the Louisville Cardinals during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With a bye week on the schedule for Ole Miss this coming Saturday, Pete Golding & Co. have an opportunity to turn inward and assess following a 52-28 blowout against Florida. While the defense is at the forefront of the discussion surrounding the Rebels, there's another unit that has major potential to get Ole Miss back on track.

The Rebels invested heavily in their running back room this offseason, bringing in transfers JT Lindsey from LSU, Makhi Frazier from Michigan State and Joshua Dye from Southern Utah. Already in the room is Shekai Mills-Knight, a four-star prospect in the class of 2025, ranked as the number nine running back in the country, the top-ranked player in Tennessee, and No. 146 nationally, according to On3.

With serious depth at running back, and star running back Kewan Lacy dealing with a shoulder injury and no timeline on his return, how will the rest of the backfield get involved?

Insurance or Involvement?

Sep 19, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back JT Lindsey (26) reacts after a two point conversion during the fourth quarter against the LSU Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Lacy is the starter and a Heisman contender, the talent behind him is very real and can make a serious impact if given the proper touches and rotated correctly. Ole Miss rushed for 128 yards against Florida this past weekend; however, the Rebels' leading rusher was quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, with 44 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries.

The running backs combined for 84 yards on 20 carries, for an average of 4.2 yards per carry. JT Lindsey tallied 11 carries for 31 yards, while Makhi Frazier tallied eight carries for 42 yards.

While these numbers may not be eye-popping at first glance, they do show that when given the ball, the running backs showed flashes of production at the very least. The small sample size also comes from a slow start to the game; by the time the Ole Miss offense started to move, the Rebels were playing from behind and were relying on receivers Deuce Alexander and Trinidad Chambliss' big second-half performances.

Joshua Dye also presents an interesting option for the run game. He recorded just one carry, but took it for 11 yards late in the fourth quarter. While that sample size is far too small to truly evaluate him, it does show he's capable of production and contributing to the offense at a bare minimum.

Shekai Mills-Knight could also become a contributor in the run game. He has yet to see action this season, but if given meaningful touches, he could very well develop into a contributor alongside the older backs in the room.

This bye week marks a fork in the road for Ole Miss football. With everything under a microscope, a vital piece of the Rebels' offense will be a priority for offensive coordinator John David Baker. With the level of investment put into the room behind Kewan Lacy, the key for the offensive staff will be determining how to best use them. Because while insurance is nice to have, it's meaningless without effective action when things go wrong

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