The 2026 season will be Ole Miss Football’s first year since 2021 without former head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. leading the offense. Under their leadership, the Rebel offense was known for its speed, efficiency and high-octane style. None of that will change under new offensive coordinator John David Baker.
Baker returned to the program as offensive coordinator in December 2025 after two seasons with East Carolina. Prior to ECU, Baker was the Rebel co-offensive coordinator (2022-23) and tight ends coach (2021-23).
The Rebels’ offensive approach for the upcoming season has not changed with Baker taking the lead — although, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss looks to have more influence in his first full season as QB1.
“It was great for me to be around during the playoffs … and over the last few months to understand different things they’ve added that Trinidad (Chambliss) likes,” Baker said in a press conference on Monday, Aug. 10. “That’s the most important thing — if Trinidad likes it, then I like it, because it’s got a great chance to work.”
For Baker, his job is more about continuing to have success with the pieces the team already has. He is not rethinking the wheel. Fans should still expect a high-tempo, entertaining offense.
“I don’t think it’s putting my stamp on things,” Baker said. “We’ve been very successful here the past five, six years because we’ve understood, ‘OK, what are our pieces?’ and then (we have been) using those guys the right way.”
The most important change between this season and last is not the change from Weis Jr. to Baker. Instead, it is the player turnover. The Rebels lost several key pieces from the offense a year ago but also made additions during the offseason.
Ole Miss has had talented starting quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends and wide receivers to form elite offenses for several seasons now. 2026 is no different. Baker believes he simply needs to make all the pieces fit together so that the offense can play at a good pace, run the ball effectively, maintain explosiveness and be physical at the point of attack.
“At the end of the day, it’s about … finding who our pieces are and then finding the packages of how to use them and put them in situations to be successful,” Baker said.
Baker has a lot of players to work with, especially when it comes to running backs. With such a deep running back room, Kewan Lacy’s role will look different than last season, when he led the nation with 306 carries.
“I don’t want him to carry the ball that much (300 times),” Baker said. “To me, the difference is carries and touches. Is he going to get the same amount of touches? Yes, but in different ways.”
Lacy had shoulder surgery in the offseason and cannot sustain his number of carries from last year, Baker said. By incorporating Lacy into different elements of the game, the Rebels will still aim for him to effect the offense as much as last season, albeit in less physically bruising situations.
“The shelf life for a running back is short as it is, so that was my sell to him in December as far as a retainment piece — ‘Hey man, you’re not going to have the same amount of carries, but you are going to have the same amount of touches,’” Baker said.
Fellow running backs Makhi Frazier and JT Lindsey will take some of the workload off Lacy in the running game.
A large piece of the puzzle in this year’s offense is the tight ends. Dae’Quan Wright, who played 28 games over the past two seasons, is now playing in the NFL. Returnees Luke Hasz and Caleb Odom, along with transfers Michael Smith and Brady Prieskorn, make up a diverse tight end room.
“We’ve got a lot of different body types. We’ve got some more traditional tight end body types, Smith and … Prieskorn, your 6-foot-5 (inch), 250-260-pound guys,” Baker said.
Baker also believes Ole Miss has enough talent in the wide receiver room to compete in the SEC, but succeeding, he said, is not always about talent.
“We have eight or nine guys that are talented enough to play in this league, but, at the end of the day, it’s about trust over talent,” Baker said.
Deuce Alexander will lead the receivers this year. Baker will look to put him in favorable matchups and utilize Alexander’s speed.
“How many times can I get Deuce (Alexander) in a one-on-one and let him just go run fast, because if he’s running fast at somebody, that (defensive back) probably isn’t feeling real great about it,” Baker said.
Syracuse transfer Johntay Cook II seems to be a much-needed shifty pass catcher, especially without former Rebel Cayden Lee.
“When we go to a one-on-one period, (Cook is) a guy that stands out,” Baker said. “He has explosive traits and movements, and for being such a guy that’s explosive like that and great in man (coverage), he also has a great feel for his own stuff, like settling in his zone, finding the grass.”
