How Pete Golding, Ole Miss have top 5 portal class despite CFP run, coaching staff chaos

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OXFORD — Even though Ole Miss football had to split attention between the transfer portal and the CFP, coach Pete Golding and the Rebels staff have put together the start of a solid incoming class.

The window to enter the transfer portal window opened Jan. 2 and will close Jan. 16.

Movement began in earnest for the Rebels after a loss in the Fiesta Bowl to Miami on Jan. 8. Ole Miss has 14 commitments as of Jan. 12.

The CFP was just one hurdle the Rebels had to overcome in assembling a transfer portal class for 2026. Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., running backs coach Kevin Smith, tight ends coach Joe Cox and wide receivers coach George McDonald decided to join the Lane Kiffin staff at LSU after the Egg Bowl.

They were splitting time between Ole Miss and LSU, and Golding had to hire or promote their replacements on the fly to recruit players.

In addition to being active in the portal, Golding has retained his top talent. Star running back Kewan Lacy has signed a deal to return to Ole Miss in 2026. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has confirmed he will as well, pending a final ruling on his eligibility waiver.

Here’s a breakdown of the current Ole Miss transfer portal class.

How is Ole Miss doing without Lane Kiffin, transfer portal king?

The Rebels are doing fine in their first transfer portal class without Kiffin, who was considered the transfer portal king.

Ole Miss is ranked No. 5 nationally in the current transfer portal class rankings, according to the 247Sports rankings. Texas is No. 1, LSU is No. 2, Penn State is No. 3 and Oklahoma State is No. 4.

That is familiar territory for Ole Miss, which has pulled in a top-five ranked transfer portal class in each season since 2022.

Quarterback Deuce Knight headlines new additions

Former Auburn quarterback Deuce Knight is the most important player in the Rebels’ class. Unless Chambliss wins his lawsuit, Ole Miss will have lost its top two quarterbacks in Chambliss and Austin Simmons, who transferred to Missouri.

Knight has the tools to succeed as an SEC starter.

He is a former five-star recruit who spent his freshman season at Auburn as a backup up Jackson Arnold. Knight started one game against Mercer and racked up 239 passing yards, 162 rushing yards and six total touchdowns. He is a sophomore and could be a multi-year starter at Ole Miss.

Biggest losses for Ole Miss in transfer portal

Most of Ole Miss’ losses in the portal are players who were not notable contributors in the Rebels’ run to the CFP semifinals.

Offensive guard Delano Townsend is an exception. He had a strong year at Ole Miss after transferring from UAB. Townsend started 13 games for Ole Miss, including the Fiesta Bowl.

Wide receiver Winston Watkins did not have a huge statistical impact as a freshman in 2025, but he flashed the potential that made him a four-star prospect coming out of Fort Myers, Florida. He had 26 catches for 373 yards and a touchdown while also rushing five times for 21 yards.

Kiffin raved about Watkins’ potential, which helps explain Watkins landing at LSU.

Simmons began the season as the starter until an injury, and eventually Chambliss’ elite play relegated him to a backup role. If Simmons had stayed, he’d likely be a contender to earn the starting job. Instead he opted for a clean slate at Missouri.

What is the best part of Ole Miss transfer class?

Golding and the Ole Miss recruiting staff has shined the most so far in building a secondary. Ole Miss has added two safeties and two cornerbacks to a position room that will look different in 2026. All of the additions are Power Four transfers who look like candidates to start.

Safety Joenel Aguero was a starter at Georgia until a wrist injury knocked him out for the final two games of the season. He had 39 tackles and an interception.

Safety Edwin Joseph came from Florida State, where he was disruptive in the backfield (3.5 tackles for loss) and in the passing game (three interceptions) for the Seminoles in 2025. He’ll be a redshirt junior.

Cornerback Jay Crawford played in 11 games at Auburn with 10 starts. He had four pass breakups, one interception and 15 tackles. He’ll be a junior.

Florida cornerback Sharif Denson will be a senior who has played as a starter for most of the past two seasons. He had eight tackles in the game against Ole Miss.

Ole Miss football’s biggest remaining need in portal

Whoever the future Ole Miss quarterback is, he’ll have a largely new cast around him.

Wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling and tight end Dae’Quan Wright are out of eligibility. Wideout Harrison Wallace is projected as an NFL Draft pick.

Although Deuce Alexander plans to return, and Cayden Lee is eligible to come back, the Rebels have some holes at receiver.

Returning tight ends Luke Hasz and Caleb Odom should hold that position down along with Michigan transfer Brady Prieskorn. But Ole Miss needs some big playmakers on the outside to fill what Stribling and Wallace brought.

The only wide receiver Ole Miss has added in the transfer portal is 5-foot-11 receiver Cameron Miller from Kentucky. He had 13 catches for 141 yards in 2025.

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How Ole Miss football, Pete Golding have done in transfer portal 2026

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