Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding just completed his first season as head coach after previously serving as the team’s defensive coordinator. He might have been ready to catch his breath after the transfer portal closed, but the NFL Draft had other plans. Running back Logan Diggs declared for the pros, dealing a costly blow to Golding. That’s especially because Diggs shone when the Rebels needed him most. 

“I also want to thank Notre Dame, LSU, and the University of Mississippi for taking a chance on a young man from Louisiana who was looking for an opportunity to grow,” wrote Diggs. “With all that being said, I will officially be declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.” 

The fifth-year senior running back in Pete Golding’s camp attended Archbishop Rummel High School. Hailing from Boutte, Louisiana, he committed to Notre Dame in 2021. Diggs spent two seasons at Notre Dame, rushing for 230 yards in eight games as a freshman and 822 yards in 12 games as a sophomore. 

After the 2022 season, he entered the transfer portal and eventually landed at LSU. In Baton Rouge, he piled up 653 yards and seven touchdowns. After the season, he once again entered the transfer portal and has been with Ole Miss since 2024.

But his highlight moment in Golding’s squad came in January 2026 during the Fiesta Bowl. In the CFP semis against Miami on Jan. 8, Diggs stepped in at running back after Kewan Lacy exited following a 73-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, returning only at the start of the third quarter.

Back at LSU, Logan Diggs went down with a major knee injury in the Tigers’ Gator Bowl win over Wisconsin. Surgery came next, then the portal followed, and Ole Miss was the first call. Even though Golding did not hold the head coaching role back then, the Rebels gave him space rather than pressure.

“I knew right then that I didn’t have to take any more (recruiting) calls,” Diggs said. “They said, ‘We want you to rehab, give it your all, maybe be able to play by the end of the (2024) season. And then be here for 2025.”

In losing him to the NFL, Pete Golding will be losing a player who was ready to give it all, holding a “we over me” mentality.

“We’ve made it this far,” the running back said before the Sugar Bowl. “It’s something I’ve never been a part of, even in my five years of college, and whatever it takes to win, that’s what I’m willing to do for the team.”

The NFL might be ready to deal Golding another tough blow.

Pete Golding holds breath for Trinidad Chambliss’ decision

Golding and Ole Miss could soon be facing another setback, with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss potentially on his way out. After the NCAA denied Chambliss’ eligibility waiver on Jan. 9, the Rebels filed an appeal. The waiver aimed to secure an extra year via a retroactive redshirt tied to his medically sidelined 2022 season at Ferris State.

No verdict yet. The NCAA appeals committee met this week but came up empty on a ruling for Pete Golding’s quarterback. The NCAA committee asked for more details this week and is set to meet again next week, per Dellenger.

Meanwhile, CBS reports suggest Chambliss could eventually receive an injunction. However, if the decision is unfavorable, he will have no choice but to leave Golding’s camp and declare for the draft.

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Along with Diggs, Ole Miss has also lost its linebacker, Tahj Chambers, who officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. In his lone season at Ole Miss, Chambers logged 45 tackles, including 27 solos, defended three passes, and appeared in all 15 contests. His physicality, frame, and closing speed helped him catch the scouts’ attention. 

NFL losses sting, but Pete Golding can’t hit pause. The transfer portal has reloaded the roster and handed him some new talent to work with.