Ole Miss football 2026: Kewan Lacy leads Rebel RB attack

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One of the most prolific returning running backs in Ole Miss history will lead the running back room this season, and his name has already got national attention – Kewan Lacy.

Lacy has a Heisman campaign Ole Miss has built around him and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in one of the most dynamic backfields the program has seen. The junior RB hails originally from Texas but ended up at Ole Miss via transfer from Missouri. Last season he compiled one of the best seasons at running back in Rebel football history with single season program records in carries (306), rushing yards (1,567), and rushing touchdowns (24).

This preseason Lacy is on every watch list for every award possible from the Walter Camp to the Doak Walker and landed All SEC first team honors as well. If you’re an Ole Miss fan, this is all not news at all, but it is fun to read and bask in the awesomeness of our starting running back.

The thing about all that hype is that every defense Ole Miss faces this year will be keying on number five to make sure he is the one player they don’t let bust a big run. So what other RB options do the Rebels have in 2026 to change pace or possibly give Lacy some time on the sideline?

Ole Miss has three transfer RB in its stable along with a very promising sophomore who signed out of high school to spend his college career at Ole Miss. Makhi Frazier (Michigan St.), JT Lindsey (LSU) and Joshua Dye (Southern Utah) bring experience at the college level with Dye being the most productive of the three at the FCS level. Last season, Dye rushed for more than 1,800 yards with 10 100-yard rushing games while earning FCS All American honors. He previously played a season at UTEP in 2024 with limited action.

Frazier and Lindsey are in their junior and sophomore seasons respectively, so I don’t think they transferred in to sit on the bench all year. The biggest opportunity these two players present is helping to take some workload off Lacy in non-conference games or in games where its a blowout one way or the other. Keeping Lacy healthy for the meat grinder of the SEC season surely has to be a top priority for the staff but also opens doors for the rest of the RB room.

Shekai Mills-Knight, or SMK as he will be referred to as much as possible, had a handful of carries last season in non-conference play after signing with Ole Miss as one of the top players from the state of Tennessee. The Baylor School product was rated as one of the best high school running backs in the country for the class of 2025. You have to think more carries are coming his way at some point in the season, and with his size (6’1” 220 lbs.) he could step in and become a short yardage option.

Which one of these RB do you think will make himself the solid backup option? Comment below and drop some knowledge.

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