21 Ole Miss football players entered transfer portal. Here's where they landed
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Despite a coaching change, Ole Miss football managed to retain some of its top players for the 2026, such as Kewan Lacy and Suntarine Perkins, but others still chose to enter the transfer portal.
The Rebels saw 21 players enter during the transfer portal window that closed on Jan. 16. Four of those players followed former coach Lane Kiffin to LSU, including defensive stars Princewill Umanmielen and TJ Dottery while nine more ended up at other Power 4 schools.
Here’s where players transferring from Ole Miss will play in 2026.
Ole Miss players following Lane Kiffin to LSU
EDGE Princewill Umanmielen
Umanmielen committed to LSU after Ole Miss previously announced his return. The Tigers will reportedly owe Ole Miss $550,000 in buyout compensation. Umanmielen led Ole Miss with nine sacks in 2025.
LB TJ Dottery
Dottery led the SEC with 98 tackles in 2025 and had 1.5 sacks. He was a starter in 2024 as well, when he had 76 tackles.
OL Devin Harper
He played in six games for the Rebels as a freshman in 2025. He was a four-star prospect out of high school and initially chose Ole Miss over LSU, Georgia and Texas.
WR Winston Watkins
The freshman had 26 catches for 373 yards and one touchdown this season and also five rushes for 21 yards. He was a four-star in the 2025 recruiting class.
Ole Miss players transferring to other Power 4 teams
OT TJ Hedrick
Hedrick is transferring to Auburn after redshirting his freshman season in 2025.
EDGE Da’Shawn Womack
Womack is transferring to Auburn after one season at Ole Miss. He had 27 tackles and 4.5 sacks for the Rebels across 15 games in 2025.
S TJ Banks
Banks is transferring to Louisville. He played in 14 games in 2025, making 20 tackles. He played in 23 games total in two seasons at Ole Miss.
OL Ethan Fields
Fields was a reserve option for the Rebels in 2025 and was used on special teams. He played in four games in 2024. He is transferring to Alabama.
CB Chris Graves Jr.
Graves is transferring to Missouri after three seasons at Ole Miss. He had 21 tackles, including a season-high seven solo tackles in the Fiesta Bowl against Miami.
CB Ricky Fletcher
Fletcher is transferring to California after one season at Ole Miss. He previously played at South Alabama. He played in 14 games and had 11 total tackles and 2 pass breakups in his one Ole Miss season.
LB Jaden Yates
Yates is transferring to Houston after one season at Ole Miss. He previously played at Marshall. Yates had 55 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in his one Ole Miss season.
OL PJ Wilkins
Wilkins is transferring to Wisconsin. He transferred from Charlotte this season and started the first two games at left guard but fell to second-string behind Delano Townsend.
QB Austin Simmons
Simmons began this year as Ole Miss’ starting quarterback, but after he suffered an injury in the Rebels’ Week 2 win over Kentucky, Trinidad Chambliss assumed the starting role. Simmons is transferring to Missouri.
Ole Miss players transferring to other teams
EDGE Jeffrey Rush
Rush is transferring to Southern Miss after playing in four games in 2025 as a sophomore.
EDGE Corey Amos
Amos is transferring to Grambling State after not recording any stats in his freshman season at Ole Miss. He was a three-star recruit in the 2025 class.
OL Jude Foster
Foster played in one game against The Citadel for Ole Miss in 2025 and is transferring to Liberty.
Ole Miss players who haven’t commited
The following five players have not committed to other schools as of Jan. 21: wide receiver Cayden Lee, running backs Trey Hall and Dominique Thomas, quarterback Braden Waterman and edge rusher Deejay Holmes Jr.
Lee is the only player from that list who was a starter. He played in 38 games for the Rebels over the past three seasons and had 44 catches for 635 yards and three touchdowns in 2025.
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss football transfer portal landing spots, including 4 to LSU
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