Three Things I’ve Learned About Ole Miss Through Four Weeks

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss is one-third through its 2026 season.

The ninth-ranked Rebels currently sit with a 3-1 (1-1 SEC) record in the midst of their Week 5 bye.

Following a blowout loss in Week 4 to Florida, Pete Golding wants his team to do some soul-searching through practices during their open week. Ole Miss fell flat in all three phases of the game in Gainesville, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

They’ve only played four games, but it’s been a substantial sample size for the Rebels through the month of September. Here are three things that I’ve learned about Ole Miss heading into its October slate.

Trinidad Chambliss' Composure

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) walks off the field during a timeout against the Florida Gators during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trinidad Chambliss has lived up to every bit of the hype entering his final season of college football.

He seems to be a player that thrives under pressure — literally and figuratively — and shines more times than not in the spotlight. Chambliss welcomes all of it.

“I feel like pressure is a privilege. I prayed to be in this situation, this is what I asked for,” Chambliss said back in August. “I’m grateful enough that God has given me this opportunity to be a quarterback at Ole Miss and have the platform that I have. Yeah there is some pressure, but it’s what I’ve asked for. Just got to do what I’ve been taught to do, what I’ve been doing my whole life and that’s just play ball.”

In Ole Miss’ final four games last season Chambliss found a consistent rhythm, arguably playing like the top quarterback in the country. Through Chambliss’ first four games in his second season at the Division I level, he looks like a quarterback that picked up right where he left off.

Chambliss’ 1,222 passing yards are currently fifth-most in the FBS and the most in the SEC through four games. His eight passing touchdowns are tied for fourth-most in the conference and has added 108 yards and four scores through the ground.

In both of Ole Miss’ top-25 wins, Chambliss has orchestrated the game-winning drives that ended with a walk-off field goal and the go-ahead touchdown using his legs. Without Chambliss, Ole Miss’ only clear win of the year would be over Charlotte.

Defense Needs to be Retooled

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Pete Golding looks on before a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ole Miss came into the season believing it had upgraded all three levels of its defense, even drawing some (careful) comparisons to the dominant one it trotted on the field during the 2024 season.

So far, that hasn’t come close to fruition for the 2026 Rebels.

It’s been beaten like a dead horse, but I’ll say it again. Even before Florida’s dominant performance on the ground against Ole Miss, rushing for over 300 yards on 50-plus carries, the Rebels showed signs of struggle defending the run in the games leading up to Week 4.

Busted coverages, misalignments and miscommunications in the secondary was also a point of emphasis for the Rebels during their early slate of games. Although, transfer safety Sharif Denson’s anticipated return to the lineup has simmered some of those initial backend concerns.

Through four games Ole Miss has surrendered an average of 30 points per game, 194.8 rushing yards per game and 210 passing yards per game. Currently, Ole Miss’ run defense ranks 112th overall in the country (last in SEC), while its pass defense 46th in the country (sixth-best in SEC).

The Rebels’ defense just hasn’t been much of a weapon either. Ole Miss has totaled just two interceptions, six sacks and 10 pass deflections as a team. Outside of Will Echoles and Kam Franklin, the Ole Miss defense has left much to be desired going into October. Golding did mention the possibility of shifting some things around following Ole Miss’ loss to Florida.

Whether that’s schematically or on-field personnel, something has to change for the Rebels on the defensive side of the ball if they’re going to compete for a spot back in the College Football Playoffs.

Battle Tested

Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver Traylon Ray (7) celebrates with wide receiver Deuce Alexander (1) after scoring a touchdown against the Louisiana State Tigers during the second quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Though Ole Miss is going through its bye week with a bit more of an intensive approach coming off its first loss of the season, sitting in the feeling of needing to get better fast, these Rebels are battle tested.

Not many teams vying for meaningful postseason play this year have played three top-25 opponents up to this point, and each game has come in different venue (neutral site, road, home) settings. At the time of this writing, Ole Miss has the country’s No. 4 strength of schedule and No. 6 strength of record.

Out of the bye, Ole Miss will line it up on the road against a Vanderbilt team that isn’t what it’s been in the previous two seasons. It’s a golden opportunity for the Rebels to get themselves right, and possibly work out some new wrinkles, with a confident performance against an SEC team on the road. After that, they’ll return home to host a top-25 Missouri team, before facing (likely) their season-defining stretch against Texas, Auburn and Georgia.

To feel comfortable about securing a CFP spot for the second consecutive season, Ole Miss can really only afford to drop one of its games the rest of the way.

With a fairly difficult slate of games to come, it won’t really be anything new for the Rebels.

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