Pete Golding opened his first full season as Ole Miss’ head coach with a statement 41–38 win over No. 24 Louisville on Sunday. But the victory came at a cost: five Rebels left the season opener at different points with injuries or cramps, giving Golding an immediate roster concern before SEC play ramps up.

The injured players list covers every position on the roster, including running back Kewan Lacy, one of the team’s best players and a Heisman hopeful, who went down with a thigh injury. Offensive lineman Tommy Kinsler limped off with a leg issue, while linebacker Keaton Thomas also dealt with something that kept him out at times. Wide receiver Deuce Alexander needed IV fluids in the locker room after cramping up, and defensive back Antonio Kite was also reportedly injured.

“Ole Miss LB Keaton Thomas is also dealing with an injury,” On3’s Brad Logan reported via an X post. “The Ole Miss injury list is long for an opening game with injuries and cramps. LB Keaton Thomas, OL Tommy Kinsler, RB Kewan Lacy, WR Deuce Alexander, DB Antonio Kite.”

Logan also reported that Alexander was “currently in the locker room receiving IV fluids, per the Ole Miss Network,” while Connor O’Gara reported that Alexander had “seemingly the entire Ole Miss training staff working on him” after his second touchdown before he was helped to get off the field.

Lacy first went down in the first quarter after being driven backward by multiple Louisville defenders, but the Ole Miss radio network mentioned that “Lacy had the wind knocked out of him.” He walked off on his own, returned soon after, and scored the program’s first touchdown. Lacy finished with 17 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown before a thigh injury sent him to the sideline with ice on his leg late in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Alexander caught two separate 62-yard touchdowns, finishing with 144 receiving yards on just four catches, before he had a cramp and was on a trip to the locker room to get IV fluids. He returned at 10:34 left in the fourth quarter and was on the field for Ole Miss’ go-ahead score.

Though there are fewer specifics on injuries to other players, the 41-38 win showed the program’s reliance on the players who went down. After last season’s 13-2 run to the CFP semifinals, the Rebels will need their depth if Lacy and other players miss time.

There is no timeline yet for the return of any of the five players. With Charlotte, the 49ers, and LSU coming to Oxford in Weeks 2 and 3, Ole Miss has a short window to get healthy.

The concern is not simply the number of players who needed attention on Sunday, but where Ole Miss could feel their absences. Lacy is the centerpiece of the Rebels’ ground game, while Alexander showed his big-play value with two 62-yard touchdown catches against Louisville. These absentees leave Golding little time to sort through depth concerns if either offensive playmaker is limited.

But despite the challenges this early in the season, the head coach is determined to make his mark at Oxford.

Pete Golding Sets Sights on Building His Own Legacy at Ole Miss

Lane Kiffin’s exit left Ole Miss with a loaded roster, a Heisman-caliber backfield in Lacy and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, and high expectations from his successor, Pete Golding. Golding has been straightforward about keeping the winning momentum going, but also wanting to create his own legacy.

“You can say it was a great year, but when you’re that close, and you didn’t play well, and if you’d played well, you could’ve played in the next one and then… who knows?” Golding said, referring to last season’s near-miss against the Miami Hurricanes, according to Benjamin Adducchio of Clutch Points.

Ole Miss is set to host Charlotte next in Week 2 on September 12, before the Week 3 showdown with LSU and Kiffin. That gives Ole Miss one game to get its injured players closer to full strength before facing their former coach.