Florida Gators' 2026 Schedule Preview: Ole Miss Rebels
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The 2026 college football season is right around the corner, which means it's time to take a deep dive into the Florida Gators' schedule.
With newly hired head coach Jon Sumrall entering his first season with the program, the Gators will look to make a statement in the Southeastern Conference in 2026. However, Sumrall and company have an uphill battle on the horizon, with plenty of key conference matchups, including the Week Four contest against the Ole Miss Rebels.
Here's everything you need to know about head coach Pete Golding and the Rebels before Florida takes them on this season.
Game Information
- Week Four
- Sept. 26 at Home
- Betting Lines: TBD
History
In the Gators' last battle against the Rebels, former head coach Lane Kiffin and his squad took control of the game through a strong offensive effort, leading to a massive 34-24 victory over Florida. Running back Kewan Lacy finished with a career-best 224 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries, while Ole Miss ended the contest with 528 total offensive yards to the Gators' 326 yards.
Offense
Unfortunately for Florida, the Rebels are set to return star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss for the 2026 season after being granted another year of eligibility. The electric dual-threat playmaker recorded 3,937 passing yards and 22 touchdowns in 2025, while also completing 66.1 percent of his pass attempts. However, Chambliss will experience plenty of changes to his previous offensive line and wide receiver room this season, with the Rebels projecting to start two new offensive tackles.
Despite losing its top two receivers from last season in De'Zhaun Stribling and Harrison Wallace III, Ole Miss has insurance in the pass-catching department for the 2026 season in Deuce Alexander. The redshirt junior tallied 684 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 44 receptions last year, but with Stribling and Wallace off to the NFL, Alexander has a clear path to becoming the team's No. 1 target on offense in 2026.
While Ole Miss fans are excited for the return of Chambliss this year, the most important player on offense would be none other than Kewan Lacy. As one of the clear favorites to win the Doak Walker, Lacy is coming off an impressive 2025 campaign that included 1,567 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on 306 carries. The Gators are very familiar with the star running back's game, but it will come down to Sumrall putting his defense in a spot that will allow Florida to limit the run game.
Defense
The Rebels' high-flying offense may be one of the strongest units in all of college football next season, but the defense is expected to be a key difference-maker for Ole Miss in 2026.
Up front, the defense is held together by star nose tackle Will Echoles, who is currently projected to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The highly touted defensive tackle finished his 2025 campaign with 68 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, and five pass deflections. Echoles' presence on the defensive line will cause plenty of issues for the Gators' offensive line due to the departure of center Jake Slaughter this offseason.
Outside of Echoles being the anchor on defense, the Rebels' pass-rushing core features two prominent playmakers who could cause issues for the Gators in Suntarine Perkins and Kam Franklin. The duo combined for 150 tackles, 12 tackles for losses, and 9.5 sacks in 2025, and with Echoles drawing attention from the offensive line up front, Perkins and Franklin will have plenty of pass-rushing opportunities in the Week Four contest.
Golding also did a terrific job of utilizing the transfer portal this offseason to help fill holes on the roster, as the addition of former Baylor linebacker Keaton Thomas should tie the defense together in 2026. Thomas finished with All-Big 12 Conference accolades throughout his time with the Bears, while ending his 2025 campaign with 99 tackles, one sack, and one tackle for a loss.
Other Previews
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