Updated Friday, September 4, 2026, ahead of Sunday’s opener against Louisville at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Ole Miss had not released an official chart entering game week; this is the projected two deep from camp reporting. It is updated once the official chart is out and after every game.
No. 11 Ole Miss brings back Trinidad Chambliss, who led the SEC in passing and finished eighth in the Heisman vote, after a court ruling restored his eligibility, and Kewan Lacy behind an offensive line that returns three interior starters. Pete Golding, in his first full season after winning two playoff games as the interim, rebuilt the defense through the portal: three transfer linebackers and a new pair of safeties are the units to watch for communication issues in Week 1.
Offense
| Position | Starter | Backups |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Trinidad Chambliss | Deuce Knight (Auburn transfer); Walker Howard, AJ Maddox |
| RB | Kewan Lacy | Makhi Frazier (Michigan State); JT Lindsey (LSU), Joshua Dye, Shekai Mills-Knight |
| WR | Deuce Alexander | Caleb Cunningham, Darrell Gill, Traylon Ray, Izaiah Hartrup |
| WR | Johntay Cook (Syracuse) | |
| WR | Horatio Fields (Auburn) | |
| TE | Luke Hasz | Caleb Odom; Michael Smith (South Carolina), Brady Prieskorn (Michigan) |
| LT | Terez Davis | Carius Curne (LSU), Troy Everett, John Wayne Oliver, Enoch Wangoy |
| LG | Delano Townsend | |
| C | Brycen Sanders | |
| RG | Patrick Kutas | |
| RT | Tommy Kinsler OR Carius Curne |
Defense
| Position | Starter | Backups |
|---|---|---|
| DE | Kam Franklin | DT Jehiem Oatis, Michai Boireau, Andrew Maddox, Kamron Beavers; DE Blake Purchase, Jonathan Maldonado, Dordan Renaud, Landon Barnes |
| DT | Will Echoles | |
| DT | Jamarious Brown | |
| DE | Suntarine Perkins | |
| LB | Keaton Thomas (Baylor) | Jarcoby Hopson, Raymond Collins |
| LB | Luke Ferrelli (California) | |
| LB | Tah’j Butler (Georgia Tech) | |
| CB | Jaylon Braxton | Antonio Kite, Cedrick Beavers, Dante Core, Dorian Barney |
| CB | Jalyn Crawford | |
| S | Edwin Joseph | Shariff Denson, Nick Cull, Ladarian Clardy, Anthony Robinson, Andy Jaffe, Craig Tutt |
| S | Joenel Aguero |
Special Teams
| K | Lucas Carniero; Jackson Moore, Peter McStravick |
| P / H | Oscar Bird; Stephon Weise |
| KR | Izaiah Hartrup; Cameron Miller, JT Lindsey, Darrell Gill |
Position Breakdown
Quarterback. Chambliss is the SEC Newcomer of the Year and the No. 3 Heisman favorite, back for a fifth season after his eligibility lawsuit succeeded. Auburn transfer Deuce Knight, a former five star from Lucedale, is the backup and future starter.
Running back. Kewan Lacy leads a deep room: Michigan State transfer Makhi Frazier drew camp praise, LSU transfer JT Lindsey and Southern Utah transfer Joshua Dye will both factor.
Receiver. Ole Miss replaces its top two pass catchers. Deuce Alexander projects as the No. 1 with transfers Johntay Cook (Syracuse) and Horatio Fields (Auburn) beside him.
Tight end. Luke Hasz is fully healthy after an injury filled 2025. Caleb Odom, converted from receiver, is the explosive option; Michigan transfer Brady Prieskorn is the brother of former Rebel Caden Prieskorn.
Offensive line. Three interior starters return in Delano Townsend, Brycen Sanders and Patrick Kutas. Terez Davis has been the bright spot at left tackle. Right tackle is the one battle Golding has been open about: Tommy Kinsler and LSU transfer Carius Curne have both flashed and the staff wants consistency.
Defensive line. Will Echoles and Kam Franklin have star potential, and Suntarine Perkins can play end or linebacker. Expect heavy rotation with eight reserves listed.
Linebacker. All three projected starters are transfers: Keaton Thomas (Baylor) has been a tackling machine, with Luke Ferrelli (California) and Tah’j Butler (Georgia Tech). How fast they click is the Week 1 storyline against a Louisville offense that uses tempo.
Secondary. Jaylon Braxton and Jalyn Crawford at corner, Edwin Joseph and Joenel Aguero at safety, with corners and safeties expected to interchange. Shariff Denson is starter caliber and will play often.
Special teams. Lucas Carniero went 31 of 35 last year, tying the FBS record for field goals in a season, with three playoff makes from 55 plus. Oscar Bird punts and holds.
The Bottom Line
The offense is proven at quarterback, running back and the interior line; the defense is a transfer experiment at linebacker and safety that debuts Sunday night. The opener is previewed at Louisville vs. Ole Miss and the full slate is on our Ole Miss schedule. This page is updated when the official chart is out and after every game.