Three Ole Miss Freshmen Who Could Play Much Bigger Roles Than Expected

Head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, Pete Golding, has done a superb job at recruiting for the season ahead.

A lot of those guys he recruited are transfers who played college football last year and watched the run the Rebels went on. That playoff run didn’t just entice transfers; it also showed players in high school that the Sip is the place to be.

It is rare for a freshman to get a shot in the SEC nowadays, but these three Rebels could definitely have a huge impact for Ole Miss in their first year.

Landon Barnes (DE)

Landon Barnes played at Duncanville High School in Texas. He finished his senior year with nine sacks and 21 tackles for a loss. It is safe to say he found a home in the backfield.

While the defensive line has been loaded with a lot of players from the portal, Barnes will still get a shot to get out on the field.

Golding is a strong believer in a rotating defensive style. This means he will constantly switch players in the same position in order to keep his starters as fresh as possible.

Barnes will not be a starter, but he will definitely be a key player who will be rotated in. Standing at 6’3 250 pounds, he has the attributes to make an impact immediately for the Rebels' defense.

Jase Mathews (WR)

Greene County wide receiver Jase Mathews has been named to the Clarion Ledger 2025 Dandy Dozen. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The former Auburn commit, wide receiver Jase Mathews is another newcomer who will definitely see the field in his first year.

Mathews had an incredible high school career where he had 2,178 receiving yards on 129 catches and 22 touchdowns. His senior year was cut short, however, because of an ACL tear.

He has had plenty of time to recover from this injury and will be ready to play in Oxford this season.

The Rebels' receiving core was gutted last year. They lost two wideouts to the NFL and one transferred to LSU. The Rebels did retain Deuce Alexander, who will be wide receiver one this year. They also have added a couple of receivers in the portal, but Mathews will have the opportunity to beat them out and be one of the three starters for Ole Miss this year.

Dorian Barney (CB)

Dorian Barney is a defensive back out of Carrollton, Georgia. He had a great varsity career. He finished with nine total interceptions and 32 total tackles.

Bareny will also be able to benefit from Golding’s rotating style of defense.

He will be a key piece that Golding can rotate into the secondary and trust that he will get his job done.

The Rebels finished first in the SEC last year. That means every other team will be chasing them this year. Ole Miss will need great execution from every player who sees the field, and these three freshmen could make a huge difference for the Rebels' season.

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

Add us as a preferred source on Google