Ole Miss Football Transfer Portal Buzz: Rebels Putting Final Touch on the 2026 Roster

Pete Golding and Co. adding to positions of need in the Transfer Portal, land two talented pieces across 24-hour stretch.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels have shown no mercy in the NCAA Transfer Portal market with the program assembling the No. 2 class in America with over 20 additions.

Once the two-week window opened on Jan. 2, Golding and Co. wasted no time after landing a commitment less than 48 hours later from Auburn Tigers defensive back Jay Crawford, a top-five cornerback in the market.

From there, the coaching staff kept a foot on the gas in order to reload the 2026 roster after a College Football Playoff run across the 2025 season.

Now, despite the Transfer Portal window closing for entry, the Rebels are still making moves on players that remain in the market after adding a pair of commitments across the last 24 hours.

The Latest Additions (2):

No. 1: TE Michael Smith - South Carolina

Gamecocks tight end Michael Smith committed to Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels after making his move official on Saturday night, he revealed via social media.

Smith checks in as a Top-25 tight end in the NCAA Transfer Portal with Ole Miss beating out multiple top programs for the 6-foot-, 245-pounder out of Georgia.

Across two seasons, Smith logged 12 receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown despite departing Columbia midway through the 2025 season.

Ole Miss has landed a commitment from South Carolina tight end transfer Michael Smith, a source tells @CBSSports.

Former Class of 2024 top-100 recruit who’d been committed Syracuse but is now instead headed to Oxford. Made eight starts the last two seasons at South Carolina. pic.twitter.com/E7L2JbmUVv

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 18, 2026

Prior to signing with South Carolina, Smith was ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 139 overall player in the 2024 class, according to the Rivals Industry Rating.

Smith came out of high school as the No. 9 rated tight in his class and the No. 18 overall player from the state of Georgia.

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.

Courtesy of Joshua Dye on Instagram.

The Transfer Portal Additions [23]:

Jay Crawford – Auburn (CB)
Keaton Thomas – Baylor (LB)
Jonathan Maldonado – Nevada (EDGE)
Sharif Denson – Florida (CB)
Jeheim Oatis – Colorado (DT)
Michai Boireau – Florida (DT)
Carius Curne – LSU (OL)
Edwin Joseph – Florida State (S)
Brady Prieskorn – Michigan (TE)
Deuce Knight – Auburn (QB)
Cameron Miller – Kentucky (WR)
JT Lindsey – LSU (RB)
Joenel Aguero - Georgia (S)
Troy Everett - Oklahoma (OL)
Walker Howard - Louisiana-Lafayette (QB)
Isaiah Spencer - Virginia Tech (WR)
Darrell Gill Jr. - Syracuse (WR)
Tah'j Butler - Georgia Tech (LB)
Jordan Renaud - Alabama (DL)
Blake Purchase - Oregon (EDGE)
Johntay Cook - Syracuse (WR)
Michael Smith - South Carolina (TE)
Joshua Dye - Southern Utah (RB)