The 2026 Ole Miss Football offense is full of talent, particularly in the quarterback and running back rooms. The receiving corps took a few hits in the offseason, but it may surprise fans with its flashiness and production. This could be one of the deepest offensive rosters the Rebels have had in some time.
Offensive coordinator John David Baker and head coach Pete Golding have lots of offensive pieces to work with for the upcoming season. The Rebel attack should look similar to the offenses of previous seasons; it may be faster and more efficient with high-quality players in well-orchestrated schemes.
Quarterback
Trinidad Chambliss is returning to Ole Miss after a historic 2025 season. He finished with almost 4,000 passing yards and 30 total touchdowns.
Chambliss has impressed offensive coordinator John David Baker ever since the coach’s arrival in December.
“Trinidad (Chambliss) is exactly what you want from the quarterback position,” Baker said in a press conference on April 10. “He’s ultra-competitive, a perfectionist, and he wants it right the first time.”
Chambliss is joined by four-star Auburn transfer Deuce Knight. Knight was one of the top prospects in this year’s transfer portal. Knight started in one game last season; he led the Tigers to a 62-17 win over Mercer.
The Rebels have one of the best 1-2 quarterback combos in the country. Not only does having two reliable QBs give the team depth, but both players should also be able to push each other to be better.
Ole Miss added another transfer quarterback in fifth-year player Walker Howard, who previously played for the Rebels in 2023 and 2024. He transferred to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette before returning to Oxford.
AJ Maddox was a freshman backup last season. He was a four-star prospect out of high school. Golding said he liked what he saw out of the sophomore during spring practice.
“(He’s) continuing to develop his body in the weight room,” Golding said in a press conference on April 14. “He’s got a much better understanding of the offense, and I think consistency and performance, obviously, are the big things we are looking for.”
Running back
Running back is perhaps Ole Miss’ best position group. The team has a bona fide superstar, a homegrown talent with a high ceiling and several dependable, skilled transfers.
Kewan Lacy will head the ground attack for the Rebels. Lacy had 24 rushing touchdowns and over 1,500 yards in 2025. He broke multiple Ole Miss school records.
Last year, he handled nearly 82% of Ole Miss’ carries, while also serving as a pass-blocker and pass-catcher out of the backfield.
This season, Lacy will still heavily impact games, but other running backs will have larger roles behind him, which should keep Lacy in good health later in the season.
Michigan State transfer Makhi Frazier leads the transfer running backs. He looks to factor in as the second-string running back in 2026.
Southern Utah transfer Joshua Dye and LSU transfer JT Lindsey could operate as change-of-pace backs. Dye was elite at Southern Utah, where he rushed for 33 touchdowns and over 1,800 yards; however, he has not yet experienced a rigorous SEC schedule.
Both Dye and Lindsey offer high-end speed and agility, but since Lindsey is only 190 pounds, he will not be as powerful as either Lacy or Frazier in the open field. However, Golding believes Lindsey’s explosiveness and top-end speed will be vital.
Finally, the other contributor on the ground is Shekai Mills-Knight, who played for the Rebels last season in very limited action. Mills-Knight stands at 6 foot 2 inches and weighs 225 pounds, but he also has decent speed despite his large frame.
Golding was high on both the athletes and coaching staff within the running back room.
“They are a team-first group led by (running backs) coach (Frank) Wilson, and they’ve worked extremely hard,” Golding said. “(There are) not a lot of egos in there, but they’re all a little different.”
Wide receivers and tight ends
Perhaps the position with the most turmoil is wide receiver. Four of the top five receivers from a year ago either transferred or signed with NFL teams. The lone returner is junior Deuce Alexander. He showed major flashes last year, but was overshadowed by Harrison Wallace III and De’Zhaun Stribling.
The Rebels returned and added good talent in the tight end room. With the departure of Dae’Quan Wright, returners Luke Hasz and Caleb Odom and transfers Michael Smith and Brady Prieskorn headline an integral tight end group.
With the way the Ole Miss offense operates, Golding bunches the tight ends with the receivers, making for a deep receiving corps.
“I group the tight end room with (the receiver room). It’s just the style of offense in which we play and how we want to be,” Golding said in a press conference on Aug. 24.
Despite the changes, Baker is very optimistic about the receiver room due to Ole Miss’ culture and historical success at that position group.
“(We are) reloading that room and just trying to bring guys in and teach them the system as fast as possible,” Baker said. “You bring back one guy with real experience and production in this offense in Deuce Alexander, and then you’ve got just a group of guys with all the potential in the world.”
Alexander is a physical receiver with great body control who is a threat after the catch. He is mainly a boundary receiver who works best near the sideline in one-on-one situations. He can take the top off the secondary with blistering speed while also winning jump balls.
Johntay Cook is a good auxiliary to Alexander. Cook is a slot receiver and was one of Syracuse’s top receivers last season despite offensive disruption at the quarterback position.
Fellow Syracuse receiver Darrell Gill Jr. also transferred to Oxford. He may not earn a starting job, but he will be an asset to Baker’s offense.
“Gill flashes, and he has a good understanding of the offense,” Golding said. “He plays fast at times. It’s the consistency in doing that (that needs work), but he does give you a threat out there of real long speed with some size.”
The tight end room probably has the least experience of any position group on offense. The combined career receiving yardage from all four of the tight ends is only 993 yards. For reference, Wright had 635 receiving yards individually just last year.
Hasz has the most experience out of the bunch, with two decent seasons at Arkansas where he totaled 577 receiving yards and seven touchdowns before transferring to Ole Miss in 2025. He was limited by an ankle injury last year, but should have an expanded role in 2026.
Odom is the other returning tight end from last year. A converted wide receiver, Odom plays as a lanky receiving threat. He weighs only 215 pounds, but he stands at 6-feet-5-inches, which helped his transition to a new position.
