2026 Ole Miss Football Preview
Jake Wimberly
Abby Boyd Contributing-
What’s to like:
Ole Miss continues to recruit at a high level and has once again done a good job using the transfer portal to reload its roster. Even with several key departures, the Rebels still have plenty of talent at the skill positions, giving the offense the ability to create explosive plays and remain one of the more dangerous units in the SEC.
The defense has also become a strength under Pete Golding. After years of relying almost exclusively on its offense, Ole Miss now has a defense capable of keeping games under control against opponents. With strong recruiting classes and another talented roster, the Rebels should once again have the pieces to compete near the top of the conference.
What’s not to like:
The biggest question surrounding Ole Miss is adjusting to life without Lane Kiffin. He helped elevate the program into a consistent contender in the SEC, and replacing a coach who consistently produced high powered offenses is never an easy task.
There are also concerns along the defensive front after losing several impact players. Ole Miss has developed one of the conferences better pass rushes in recent years, but replacing that production will not be easy. The Rebels will need new faces to stop into larger roles if they want to remain among the SEC’s top teams.
Ole Miss- SEC (9-3)
Power ranking 118.09. The 10th toughest schedule in the SEC.
2026 Ole Miss Analytics
National recruiting rating (three year metric): #12- inside the boundary of a National Championship Roster.
National Coaching Ranking:
Pete Golding- 27th in Power 5 and 11th in the SEC.
2026 coaching value= 24.6 (average 2026 Power 5 coaching value=21.93) Pete Golding is ranked middle of the pack for coaches in the Power 5.
Quarterback Play: Trinidad Chambliss- ranked 4th in the Power 4, 2nd in the SEC; 2026 QB value= 47.4 (Power 4 average- 26.43).
Impact Ball Catcher Metric: Ole Miss has an Impact Ball Catcher Metric of 3. This puts the Rebels at the middle tier for the SEC in this metric.
Final Thoughts:
Head Coach Pete Golding inherits a talented Ole Miss roster, and continues to add several key players, that should once again be capable of competing for a championship. While replacing Lane Kiffin and several key contributors won’t be easy, the Rebels still have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. If the offense continues to produce and the defensive front develops quickly, Ole Miss should remain in the mix for another successful season.
2026 Schedule analysis:
Projected Hourglass W/L record: Games in red denote games that could be a one possession game or even a different outcome than projection.
9/6/26 Louisville- Win
9/12/26 Charlotte- Win
9/19/26 LSU- Loss
9/26/26 At Florida- Win
10/10/26 At Vanderbilt- Win
10/17/26 Missouri- Win
10/24/26 At Texas- Loss
10/31/26 Auburn- Win
11/7/26 Georgia- Loss
11/14/26 At Oklahoma- Win
11/21/26 Wofford- Win
11/27/26 Mississippi State- Win
