The Return of Ole Miss Starting CB Can't Be Overlooked
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The Ole Miss Rebels finished day one of fall camp on Thursday, as many players are looking to make a name for themselves, including defensive back Jaylon Braxton, who is aiming for a breakout season after a solid 2025 campaign.
The 2025 Ole Miss squad had a phenomenal year, earning two playoff victories against Tulane and SEC opponent Georgia. Pete Golding takes the helm for his first full season as the official Ole Miss head coach following the departure of Lane Kiffin.
Golding has always been a defensive-minded coach, developing great talent during his time as Ole Miss' defensive coordinator and previously serving as the defensive coordinator at Alabama. And now, he has a talented veteran cornerback to lean on in the secondary this upcoming season.
Jaylon Braxton Finally Healthy and Ready to Make an Impact
Ole Miss heads into the 2026 season with high expectations, as the Rebels return two Heisman candidates in Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy. The defense has several spots that need to be filled before the end of training camp.
Following day one of fall camp, Braxton said that he was consistently dealing with injuries during the 2025 season, which impacted his play.
"This is my first season since my freshman year where I have been healthy going into the summer and fall," Braxton said. "I am extremely blessed, and this will give me a lot of confidence going into the season."
Getting the secondary in great shape is a major priority before the 2026 season begins. The 2025 secondary was overall solid, but there is still room for improvement heading into a season with such high expectations.
Braxton Believes in Pete Golding
Jaylon Braxton decided to return to Ole Miss after he could have easily transferred elsewhere, but ultimately chose to stay because of new head coach Pete Golding.
"I know that the defense that we play in always gets a lot of people to the NFL, so it was a no-brainer for me to stay."
The Rebels have acquired a ton of secondary players through the transfer portal, as Ole Miss looks to strengthen what was a relatively weaker positional group from the historic 2025 season.
If Golding can get the secondary and linebacker group to improve, the Rebels should be one of the best teams in the SEC and potentially even the country. Ole Miss has all of the offensive tools needed to be successful, but the defense will need to step up and make plays, with Braxton potentially being the X-factor in the secondary.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/olemiss as The Return of Ole Miss Starting CB Can't Be Overlooked.
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