$1.8 Million RB Dubbed 'Most Potent' Running Back in College Football

Roughly six and a half months separate the middle of February from the opening weekend of the 2026 college football season.

With each new college football season comes an opportunity for star players to add to their legacies. Many of these players will chase opportunities in the NCAA transfer portal, but some want to add to their legacies at their current programs.

One player who is looking to cement his name into his program's history is Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy, who is coming off one of the most productive seasons among running backs nationally.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder was a three-star running back recruit in Missouri's 2024 signing class. Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll were the two most prominent running backs in the Tigers' 2024 offense, so Lacy's action was mostly limited to blowout victories.

In six games, Lacy carried the ball 23 times for 104 yards while catching the ball twice for nine more yards.

Lacy transferred to Ole Miss in the 2025 offseason. His impact on the Rebels was immediate; he rushed for over 100 yards in each of their first two games against Georgia State and Kentucky.

Kewan Lacy during the Fiesta Bowl. — Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy (5) runs for a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In total, Lacy ran for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns while catching 29 passes for 177 more yards in 2025. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark in seven games, including a 224-yard outburst against Florida on Nov. 15, 2025.

With Lacy's help, the Rebels reached a program-best 13-2 overall record and made a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals. He earned All-SEC First Team honors and All-America honors from a handful of major outlets following the 2025 season.

Additionally, Lacy was one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award, given to the best running back in college football.

Lacy's return to one of the most dangerous offenses in the last College Football Playoff has the media keeping an eye on the Rebels in 2026. Brad Crawford of CBS Sports compiled a list of the 10 offenses he believes will be most explosive in the 2026 season. He listed Ole Miss as the No. 9 offense on the list, dubbing Lacy as the most potent running back in all of college football.

"Retaining college football's most potent running back also helps after Kewan Lacy stiff-armed pursuit by LSU and Kiffin to stay with the Rebels," Crawford wrote. "He's a 1,400-yard rusher who scored an SEC-leading 23 touchdowns last fall."

Lacy will be joined by 2025 backfield mate Trinidad Chambliss, who received his preliminary injunction for another season of eligibility in 2026. 2025 was Chambliss' first season of Division I football, and he defied all odds by passing for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions on the journey to the College Football Playoff.