A freshman linebacker has just arrived at Ole Miss, and he’s already making national championship guarantees. Pete Golding signed two recruits on National Signing Day, bringing the total to 21 commitments in the 2026 class. Among them is a 6’2, 200-pound 4-star LB from Baton Rouge who committed to Ole Miss in September, becoming one of the three LBs in the class. It appears that he’s highly motivated to achieve success with the Rebels.  

“Ole Miss is going to the National Championship next year. Merch It,” he boldly stated when asked for a message for his new school.  

Last season, Ole Miss shattered expectations and school records, becoming the first team in its history to win 11 regular-season games and ultimately reaching 13 wins with a Sugar Bowl trophy, proving they belong in the national title conversation.

It stung, but it also confirmed that the Rebels belong in the national conversation. JaMichael Garrett, looking at what they did in 2025, is like why stop there? After decommitting from Auburn, he chose Oxford, seeing the Rebels’ recent success as a sign of things to come. LSU, Clemson, Tennessee, Missouri, USC were all in the mix, but he still chose Ole Miss.

Before his head coaching role, Pete Golding’s persistence mattered when he was a DC recruiting the No. 1-rated LB in Louisiana. JaMichael Garrett had 91 tackles and 9.5 TFLs as a junior, but his sophomore tape is even better with 26.5 TFLs, 9.5 sacks, a pick-six, two forced fumbles, and three recoveries. He’s an elite addition to a loaded 2026 roster that could see the national stage.

In terms of transfers, Ole Miss sits No. 18 nationally and No. 8 in the SEC in transfer rankings after bringing in 29 players and sending 21 out. Meanwhile, the 2026 recruiting class ranks No. 26 overall, and even On3’s way-too-early rankings slot the Rebels at No. 15. And with RB Kewan Lacy, one of the five best players in college football, coming back, the floor is already high.

The 2026 Ole Miss schedule is manageable early, but it gets tougher. Road trips to Florida and Vanderbilt come before Halloween, with an open date between them. Four of the final five games are in Oxford, including Georgia. That sounds good until you notice Texas and Oklahoma on the road and Florida looking much improved. Missing Alabama and Texas A&M helps, but missing three non-bowl teams from last year doesn’t. But the biggest factor that’ll decide their upcoming season is Trinidad Chambliss.

The QB cloud hanging over Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss 

Ole Miss’s biggest variable is Trinidad Chambliss. The NCAA denied Ole Miss’s appeal for his sixth-year waiver earlier this week, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. That decision isn’t final, yet, as the QB’s legal team, led by attorney Tom Mars, is preparing to file for a preliminary and permanent injunction in Mississippi state court. Mars made it clear that this will be detailed, documented, and aggressive. Ole Miss is publicly backing their QB through the process.

If Trinidad Chambliss plays, Ole Miss is firmly in the CFP race again. If he doesn’t, things could shift, considering how he was the engine behind that 13-2 run after taking over in Week 3 last season. He threw for 3,660 yards, 21 TDs, and just three picks, ran for 520 yards and eight more scores, won SEC Newcomer of the Year, and finished eighth in the Heisman voting. His return will spark confidence in the freshman.

Ultimately, the Rebels’ 2026 season is a tale of two players. One is JaMichael Garrett, the confident freshman dreaming of a championship, and Trinidad Chambliss, the star quarterback whose uncertain future could define their path to get there.