The 2026 Ole Miss Rebels will start the season as the No. 9-ranked team in the AP Poll, coming off an impressive 2025 season in which the Rebels won two playoff games, making 2025 one of the best seasons in program history.

New head coach Pete Golding leads the way going into 2026, as Lane Kiffin departed the Rebels after the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State, leaving to join the LSU Tigers, while offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. joined him.

Ole Miss opens the season with high expectations after returning a great amount of production on both offense and defense. Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy both return on offense, with both players having Heisman aspirations heading into the season. On defense, Will Echoles, Suntarine Perkins and Kam Franklin all return on the defensive line, as Ole Miss will look to replicate the success they had last season.

Ole Miss Cannot Afford to Sleep on Louisville in Week One

Ole Miss will face the Louisville Cardinals in the first game of the season for both teams in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Cardinals are ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll, making the clash the only ranked matchup of Week 1. The Rebels are looking to start the season with a ranked win and will have all eyes on them in Nashville.

The Rebels have a chance to move up in the polls with a win, but it will be very important that they do not overlook a strong Cardinals team, as LSU will come into Oxford in week three in what will be a revenge game following Kiffin's departure, which upset many players and fans.

What Week 1 Will Tell Us About Ole Miss

The offense, despite returning Chambliss and Lacy, still has a ton of question marks at the wide receiver position, as no one has claimed the WR2 or WR3 spots yet for the Rebels. Deuce Alexander returns for another season and will likely see a majority of the targets early.

The Cardinals have one of the best running backs in college football in Isaac Brown, who ran for over 800 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. The Rebels brought in linebackers Keaton Thomas from Baylor and Luke Ferrelli from Cal to beef up the linebacker room. This will be a great test to see how legitimate the transfer portal linebackers will be.

The offense under new offensive coordinator John David Baker will also be tested early, as the Louisville defense is very solid. This will be a true test to see if the Rebels have changed their offensive style at all or if the offense is similar to what they had under Weis Jr.

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