Ole Miss Football Reloads Running Back Room Headlined By Kewan Lacy and Makhi Frazier

Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels have reloaded the running back room in Oxford this offseason through the NCAA Transfer Portal with the program inking three newcomers this month.

Once star running back Kewan Lacy announced his return to the program, there was a primary focus on decreasing his workload in 2026 after carry significant weight for the Rebels offense across a strong campaign last fall.

Lacy was one of the best rushers in the nation all season long for the 13-2 Rebels - holding a season line of 306 attempts for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns.

“You see what Kewan is made of, what this team is made of,” Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro told On3 Sports following the season-ending loss to Miami in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

“It’s the reason so many guys are going to be back next year. We’re going to build on this.”

Now, Ole Miss has added a trio of newcomers in the backfield to join a stacked running back room for the 2026 season.

Ole Miss Rebels Football: Kewan Lacy. — Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

The Newcomers: Rebels Ink Multiple Running Backs

No. 1: RB Makhi Frazier - Michigan State

Frazier checks in as the No. 8 rated back in the Transfer Portal and the top remaining prospect at his position with the Rebels hitting a home run once again in the free agent market.

The Texas native rushed 116 times for 520 yards across the 2025 season while leading Michigan State’s ground attack. Frazier also tallied a pair of touchdowns on the season for the Spartans.

After two seasons with the Michigan State program, Frazier locked in on the Ole Miss Rebels and Indiana Hoosiers as potential landing spots with Golding and Co. securing the commitment after a trip to the Magnolia State.

No. 2: RB Joshua Dye - Southern Utah

The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder is coming off of a dominant campaign where he ran the ball 295 times for 1,831 yards and 28 touchdowns across the 2025 season where he evolved into the top running back at the FCS level.

Dye ultimately earned First-Team AP FCS All-America honors while finishing fourth in the 2025 Walter Payton Award voting.

The historic season in which Dye rounded out the year at No. 1 in FCS in rushing touchdowns, rushing yards, yards per game (152.7) and scoring (168) has him emerging as a hot commodity on the recruiting scene with Ole Miss in pursuit.

Ole Miss Rebels Football. — Courtesy of Joshua Dye on Instagram.

No. 3: RB JT Lindsey - LSU

Lindsey signed with the LSU Tigers as a Top-10 running back in America in the 2025 Recruiting Cycle, but off-field "issues" kept him away from the program for the 2025 season where he utilized a redshirt year.

A highly-touted recruit, Lindsey held a myriad of offers where his junior campaign on the prep scene put his name on the map.

Across the 2023 season, Lindsey ran for 1,729 yards and 26 touchdowns where he earned several offers from prominent programs, but his senior season was then one for the history books where he led his prep squad to an undefeated regular season with a 10-0 record.

Lindsey put up a dominant stat line after rushing for 2,476 yards on 324 carries with 33 touchdowns to go with it in 2024.

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Football Gaining Confidence in Landing Top-10 Transfer Portal Wide Receiver

Ole Miss Football Adds Commitment From Prized Oklahoma Sooners Transfer To Haul

Kirk Herbstreit Believes Trinidad Chambliss Has Strong Chance To Get Waiver for 2026, Win Appeal

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