Pete Golding's Take: Ole Miss Football Embracing Challenge of Being Targeted in 2026

Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels remain in the spotlight this offseason after wrapping up a historic 2025 campaign in January with a pair of College Football Playoff wins under the program's belt.

In what became a six-week stretch to remember, the Ole Miss program elevated Golding to become the new shot-caller of the Rebels where he then led the program to two wins in the postseason - a feat never achieved in Oxford.

Now, as the new era of Ole Miss Football continues, the program is adapting to becoming the "hunted" instead of the "hunter" heading into the 2026 season with a target on their backs.

"When you win, you fight complacency and become a target. Teams circle you on the schedule. Our focus is on daily development—not looking ahead to big games," Golding said on Monday.

"If we prepare the right way and don’t beat ourselves, we’ll have a chance. Most games are lost, not won. That’s the mindset—we have to play clean, disciplined football every day."

Golding took the podium on Monday where he addressed multiple topics. Ole Miss Rebels On SI broke down three key takes from the program's shot-caller.

Pete Golding's Take: Offseason Edition

The Leadership in the Locker Room:

“I think we got a lot of really good leaders in the locker room. I think we got a lot of really good kids, you know what I’m saying? They have really good intentions.

“But at the end of the day, they are still young, and there’s a lot of times that people in this room like myself make decisions that we wish we wouldn’t have.

“I think it’s really about understanding what do you have to lose. Some of these people that we associate with don’t and so I think there’s that self-discipline piece, and that’s hard. That they read how good they are.

"…I think we got a nucleus of guys that have a goal and really know that they want to increase their value. Really know they want to try to compete for a championship and they know they don’t get to do all that. You do all that sh*t, you’re not going in the first round. You know?”

Offensive Tackle Development:

"That position still needs work. Garrison has done a solid job rotating guys, and we’ve moved players around to evaluate different combinations. Guys like Enoch, Tommy, and Torres have shown flashes of being able to play winning football in the SEC.

"The key now is consistency. Torres has had a really solid spring, and we need him to keep developing and leading. Overall, there’s talent there, but we’ve got to get more consistent across the board."

Ole Miss Rebels Football: Carius Curne. — Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Defensive Back Growth:

"We’ve got guys playing well. Dorian [Barney] is back and had a big pick-six in a two-minute drill. Sharif is playing at a high level, and Jonell is improving each day—especially physically. Kite has been more consistent lately, and we’ve challenged him to lead.

"Squirrel has a high ceiling but needs to bring consistency every day. Overall, we have size, speed, and talent in that room. Now it’s about development and accountability."

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

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