Ole Miss quarterback and running back Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy landed in the Top 10 in ESPN’s Top 100 preseason player rankings, taking the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, respectively. Defensive tackle Will Echoles landed at No. 26, while linebacker Suntarine Perkins landed at No. 62.
After the Rebels’ third-place finish last season, both stars established themselves as the top-ranked players at their positions in Division I. This representation is even more exciting considering neither Rebel graced the list ahead of 2025.
Chambliss notching a Top-5 recognition is particularly compelling after his partial career in Division II and a controversial eligibility court case. The quarterback threw for 3,937 yards and totaled 30 touchdowns in his breakout season. With his starting position secured, the dual-threat quarterback has a higher ceiling than ever before.
Sitting 13 spots ahead of the next ball-carrier, Kewan Lacy is the running back to watch this season. The 2025 Doak Walker Award finalist led the entire Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in carries and broke Ole Miss single-season records for rushing yards with 1,567 and total touchdowns with 24.
Even though offensive coordinator John David Baker seeks to manage Lacy’s carries due to increased depth in the running back room, Lacy’s overall touches should remain high as he targets a 2,000 all-purpose yard season.
Echoles sits just outside the Top 25. The defensive MVP of the 2026 Sugar Bowl recorded 68 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in his sophomore season.
Given his ability to collapse the pocket from the middle, Echoles has proven to be quite productive and is already on the radar of many NFL teams.
Linebacker Suntarine Perkins is rated at No. 62 after leading the team in tackles for loss in 2025. Perkins is an important leader on the defense. Earlier this month, he won the Chucky Mullins Courage Award. He also brings versatility as a hybrid linebacker and edge rusher who is capable of dropping into coverage.
