Ole Miss Football had extensive media availability leading up to their first College Football Playoff game against Tulane this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Head coach Pete Golding, several players and two assistant coaches shared insights heading into the first round. Here are the biggest takeaways from the press conferences.
Golding is keeping things the same — for now
After former head coach Lane Kiffin departed for LSU, Golding took the reins as the permanent head coach. The team’s game plan and practice plans will likely stay consistent for the playoff run, but 2026 could be different.
“The pieces are in place for it to be consistent as it was prior to (my new role),” Golding said in a press conference on Monday, Dec. 15. “The practice piece of it is the easiest part of it. It’s the in-between, obviously, of managing the now and the 2026 and what that’s going to look like. So the practice part is kind of my safe code right now.”
As the former defensive coordinator, Golding does not plan on changing the defensive system. He believes that despite the chaos of Kiffin’s departure, the offense is still in good hands.
“Obviously, the defensive side of the ball is the same,” Golding said. “Offensively, from a planning standpoint and all that, we got highly qualified guys (on offense) that have been very successful doing it this year.”
While preparing for the playoffs, Golding also has to plan for the transfer portal, something he has not done yet. The staff’s focus is on their upcoming game.
“You get news everyday when we get those spreadsheets of guys that announce on social media that they’re planning on entering (the portal),” Golding said, “So we haven’t had them cut up and we haven’t evaluated. We have a lot of guys (that are) responsible for that.”
Ole Miss recently hired wide receiver coach Damian Washington and offensive assistant Micheal Spurlock onto the 2026 coaching staff. They will not take over until next season; however, they still have an important role to play now.
“I think, obviously, anybody from a 2026 piece of this is about retention of your current roster, so being available from a relationship standpoint for your current roster,” Golding said. “But a lot of players want to know, ‘Who am I going to play for?’”
Golding discussed what players are looking for in coaches that could help them stay at Ole Miss next year.
“Number one, they want to make sure if there’s stability in the scheme, and that’s not going to change,” Golding said. “Number two, do I like the guy’s energy and body language and who he is? Is he a man? Is he going to develop me as a young man? So, I think it’s really important to get those guys (coaches) around our players prior to the portal coming open, so they have a good idea of the people that they’re going to play for.”
Beyond roster retention, Golding gave insight into how the Rebels approach the portal.
“And then on top of that, I think a big piece of it is evaluating our roster,” Golding said. “So let’s go ahead and evaluate your position and who’s playing winning football, who’s not, who needs to improve, and then, potentially, who needs to get a replacement at that position to be able to address the portal needs.”
Players believe in Golding
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss spoke about Golding and what separates him from Kiffin.
“Yeah, PG (Pete Golding) and coach Kiffin, two totally different dudes,” Chambliss said in a press conference on Monday, Dec. 15. “Coach Kiffin was kind of quieter, more soft tone. PG is kind of more rough, very emotionally talks to the team, but PG has done a great job. Not a lot is different with how our schedule has been and how practices are, so that’s kind of good that we’re on the same track of how we’ve been the whole season. But yeah, PG is very emotional, and he’s a player coach, to be honest, so that’s been great.”
“He’s (Pete Golding) been great,” wide receiver Harrison Wallace III commented about his coach on Monday. “He’s bringing the energy, he has that past experience, so he knows what it looks like and he knows what it takes.”
Assistant coach Joe Judge spoke about Golding in his Tuesday presser.
“You find that being a head coach has such little to deal with, calling the offense and the defense and the special teams,” Judge said. “It’s really about the big picture preparation for the team, putting everyone in the right position, managing people, managing time and then if you have something else you can do to add to that, that’s obviously a huge advantage. He thinks outside the box. He’s one of the smartest coaches I’ve ever been around.”
The player impact of Joe Judge
After a one-season stint with the New York Giants for the 2020-21 season, Judge was fired after only winning four games. In April 2024, the Rebels hired Judge as the quarterbacks coach.
Since his hiring, he and Charlie Weis managed to bring in Chambliss, one of the most successful DI newcomers in college football this season. Judge touched on what makes Chambliss special.
“Just him as a player, competitor, athlete — that all jumped out,” Judge said. “When you have that kind of competitiveness, that kind of athleticism and that kind of drive and commitment, it puts you in a position to have success. And he’s done a really good job this year.”
The coaching drama at Ole Miss the past few weeks has left some speculation for how on-field play calling will look.
“There’s still some conversation to be had with all the coaches and quarterbacks,” Judge said. “As I have for the last two years, I’ll be helping with in-game situational (calls) and handling timeouts, things of that nature. Anything else coach Golding wants to put on us, we’ll take.”
After enduring Kiffin’s messy exit from the program, Judge said he was not going anywhere.
“I will be in Mississippi. I love being in Oxford,” Judge said. “I was glad they gave me an extension. That’s awesome. I want something I can seek out. You know, they presented the opportunity to stay here and do something you love.”
Chambliss is keeping his future options open
In order for Chambliss to play next year, he has requested a waiver from the NCAA, which he is confident they will grant him. As of Monday, he did not have an answer, but he expects an NCAA decision in the coming days.
“I have trust in Jesus Christ that the waiver is approved,” Chambliss said.
If he is approved, Chambliss said he will keep his options open for next season.
“I would have to consider what the best situation is for me,” Chambliss said. “What I feel more comfortable with, who I trust the most, and I’m just going to feel for every possibility.”
