These 3 Transfers Could Make or Break Ole Miss' Season

The Ole Miss Rebels landed some impact players this offseason out of the transfer portal.

Florida State Seminoles defensive back Edwin Joseph silences the crowd after an interception during the second quarter against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels enter the 2026 season with championship-level expectations under head coach Pete Golding, who will be ushering in a new era in Oxford after the controversial departure of Lane Kiffin.

Much of the hype surrounding Ole Miss is thanks to the return of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. Seen as a shoo-in to be a Heisman Trophy Finalist in December, he will drive the Rebels all season long, but Ole Miss won't be able to win a national title if the team is unable to get production out of its transfer portal class.

Ole Miss added 29 transfers this offseason, meaning their collective success or failure will play a massive role in what the Rebels' 2026 season will look like. Here are the three

Edwin Joseph, Safety

Florida State Seminoles defensive back Edwin Joseph (33) in action during the game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Florida State Seminoles at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

With so many personnel changes on defense, Joseph, who transfers in from Florida State, will need to quickly become one of the primary leaders on that side of ball.

During his first three seasons with the Seminoles, he posted 51 total tackles,

He is arguably the best defensive transfer Ole Miss landed this offseason, and his production next year will no doubt determine how far the Rebels can go.

Darrell Gill Jr., WR

With so much change at the wide receiver position for the Rebels, Gill Jr. will have a chance to deliver a breakout season as potentially the top target in the passing game for Trinidad Chambliss. Though Deuce Alexander will have something to say about that, Gill Jr. projects for a productive first season in the SEC.

Last season at Syracuse, he had 32 catches for 506 yards and five touchdowns. He has 70 catches for 1,136 yards and eight scores in his career.

Now with some vastly improved quarterback play and other talented receivers around him to draw attention from the defense, Gill Jr. might just be in the near-perfect environment for a career-best season this fall.

Makhi Frazier, RB

Though this might be seen as a bold pick for this list, the impact of backup running back is arguably one of the most important aspects on any team, especially one that aims to play deep into the winder like Ole Miss.

It's no secret that the Rebels will lean on Kewan Lacy in the biggest moments of the season, but Frazier's potential ability to bring starter-level impact could allow Ole Miss to keep Lacy fresher as the year goes on before heading into the College Football Playoff.

And in the worst-case scenario that Lacy misses extended time or even the entire season, Frazier has already shown at Michigan State that he can step in and provide solid production in order to keep the team's ground game alive amid a potential Lacy absence.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.