College Football's Most Important Players in 2026: No. 11 RB Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss

Ole Miss star running back Kewan Lacy took a handoff on the first play of the second quarter in the Fiesta Bowl and went 73 yards for a touchdown, the longest run Miami's defense had allowed since 2018. His right hamstring gave out as he reached the goal line. He left for the locker room, returned in the third quarter with a compression sleeve on his leg and finished with 103 yards on 11 carries.

Lacy's contribution wasn't enough. Carson Beck scrambled for a 3-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left, and Miami beat Ole Miss 31-27 in the College Football Playoff semifinal on Jan. 8, ending a program-record 13-win season one game short of the championship.

Lacy had already made his choice by then: as days before the semifinal, with LSU rumored to be a suitor, he signed a deal to return to Oxford for 2026.

"I'm so thankful to be here and for all the support from my coaches, fans, and teammates," Lacy said in January. "I give all the thanks to God and just keep going, keep going up."

On Wednesday in Tampa, reporters at SEC Media Days asked the running back what his unfinished business is at Ole Miss.

"The national championship," Lacy said.

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No. 11: Kewan Lacy, RB, Ole Miss Rebels

The 5-foot-11, 210-pound junior led the FBS with 306 carries in 2025. He rushed for 1,567 yards, third in the country, and his 24 rushing touchdowns ranked second nationally and led the SEC by seven. That total shattered Quinshon Judkins' single-season school record of 16 set in 2022.

Lacy became the first Doak Walker Award finalist in program history and earned first-team All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America.

Ole Miss Rebels running back Kewan Lacy (5) speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dallas native took a winding path to Oxford. He played his freshman season at Missouri, ran for 104 yards and entered the transfer portal, where 247Sports rated him a three-star addition. One year later, he was carrying an SEC offense, with a career-best 224 rushing yards against Florida and 98 yards with two touchdowns in the 39-34 Sugar Bowl quarterfinal win over Georgia.

This offseason brought more attention when Lacy was named a cover athlete for EA Sports College Football 27, a first for the program.

"I feel like it's a blessing to be able to represent my school and my teammates," Lacy said.

Kewan Lacy, Trinidad Chambliss return for Pete Golding's first full season

Ole Miss enters 2026 with a new head coach and a familiar backfield. Lane Kiffin left for LSU before the playoff, and defensive coordinator Pete Golding guided the Rebels to playoff wins over Tulane and Georgia as the interim before the school removed the tag and gave him the job.

"This group created a legacy and an expectation for this program," Golding said after the Fiesta Bowl.

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, running back Kewan Lacy — Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) and running back Kewan Lacy (5) lift the trophy after the 2026 Sugar Bowl. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who appeared at No. 18 on my most important players list, is back too after winning a court injunction against the NCAA for another year of eligibility. He threw for 3,660 passing yards, fifth in the country, with 21 touchdowns and three interceptions in 2025, added 520 rushing yards and finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting.

The offense around the pair averaged 489.7 yards per game, second in the FBS, and the Rebels are drawing top-10 buzz entering Golding's first full year.

The schedule tests them early. Ole Miss opens against Louisville at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Sept. 6, and Kiffin brings LSU to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Sept. 19 in the SEC opener. Mississippi State visits Oxford to close the regular season on Nov. 28.

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