The drama that played out for the Mississippi Rebels at the end of last season had Hollywood written all over it. First Lane Kiffin was staying, then he wasn’t, and despite signing a huge contract with LSU, Kiffin still wanted to coach the Rebels through the postseason. After his attempts to coach the team in the playoffs were rebuffed by the administration at Mississippi, Kiffin claimed players were texting him with words of support, a statement that the players denied.

Defensive coordinator Pete Golding was eventually named head coach and took the team through the College Football Playoffs until they lost to the Miami Hurricanes in the semifinal.  The major names return for Mississippi this season, and they should contend for the SEC West title. A matchup against Kiffin and LSU on September 19 is the contest to circle. The game will be played in Oxford, making it even more dramatic.

If there’s a prospect that compares to Jeremiah Smith in next year’s draft, it would be Kewan Lacy. A dominant game-changer with terrific speed and running skill, Lacy has great vision and does a terrific job setting up blocks then following them everywhere on the field. He’s a multi-cut ball carrier with terrific footwork who easily cuts back against the grain without losing momentum and sets defenders up before making them miss.

Lacy consistently breaks long runs, but he also picks up the difficult yards on the inside and is a terrific pass catcher out of the backfield. Lacy will grade as a top-eight player next April, but where he lands in the draft will depend on how the quarterbacks fall.

Speaking of quarterbacks, the Rebels have a good one in Trinidad Chambliss, who returns for another year.

Extending the program’s drama through the offseason, Chambliss battled the NCAA in court to gain an extra season of eligibility, which he was finally awarded in March. He entered 2025 as the backup, then took over for injured starter Austin Simmons and never looked back. Chambliss is a true leader who consistently beat opponents with his arm and legs. He’s an accurate passer who throws receivers free, and Chambliss stays away from bad throws and poor decision-making. He’s also a legitimate threat carrying the ball with the ability to create yardage. What I admired most about Chambliss was his ability to consistently come through in the clutch when Mississippi needed a big play.

The concerns are his size. Chambliss may not measure six feet tall, though he has a stout build near 210 pounds. He often has passes batted away due to the lack of height, yet Chambliss can start on Sunday in the right system.

Defensively, it starts with lineman Will Echoles, a potential star in the making. Echoles is a terrific athlete who plays with great quickness and explosion. He fires off the snap, consistently penetrates the backfield, and shows the ability to chase plays to the sidelines or downfield. He needs to add bulk and strength to his game, as Echoles has the style of a one-gap defensive tackle, yet he comes with terrific upside.

Lack of size is also an issue for Suntarine Perkins, who’s built more like a big safety. Yet Perkins has been a terrific three-down linebacker for Mississippi the past three seasons. He’s a spectacular run defender who is great in pursuit and can also cover when the ball is in the air. Perkins also shows a lot of force on the blitz. His 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame won’t fit every system and could push him outside the draft’s initial 45 selections.