New LSU coach Lane Kiffin was one of the main characters in the 2025-26 College Football Playoff even though he elected not to actually coach in it. The former Ole Miss coach hovered everywhere during the Rebels' CFP run, almost openly threatening to take lots of his former stars (especially QB Trinidad Chambliss and RB Kewan Lacy) when their season ended. But after new head coach (and incumbent defensive coordinator) Pete Golding led them to the semifinals, Ole Miss held onto Chambliss and Lacy and mostly kept portal vultures away. With Chambliss winning an extra year of eligibility, Ole Miss returns players responsible for 143 of its starts last season, a solid 19th overall.
Golding wasn't quiet in the portal, either. (Just ask Dabo Swinney.) His defensive depth took a hit -- 13 of his 20 players with 200-plus snaps are gone, though five key starters return -- so he added 13 transfers, including seven power-conference starters. That was likely a heavy expense, so he searched for distressed assets on offense, high-upside players coming from flawed-to-terrible offenses such as Syracuse (WRs Johntay Cook and Darrell Gill Jr.), Michigan State (RB Makhi Frazier), Virginia Tech (WR Isaiah Spencer), Kentucky (WR Cameron Miller) and LSU (LT Carius Curne). The most proven offensive piece came from the FCS ranks (Southern Utah RB Joshua Dye).
Did Golding get Chambliss, Lacy and new offensive coordinator John David Baker enough fun toys? Will a remodeled secondary hold up? Fourth downs and aggression were big parts of the Kiffin model; how will Golding tinker with that formula? There's still massive upside here, but I don't feel either a semifinal repeat or a stumble to 7-5 would be a huge surprise. The Rebels could be the biggest wild card in the SEC.
