Whiz Baker’s Grand Ole Return and the QB Showdown
Pete Golding taps former Rebel John David Baker as the new offensive coordinator after Charlie Weis Jr. departs for LSU. Baker’s second Oxford stint follows roles as co-offensive coordinator (2022–23) and tight ends coach (2021–23). He then led East Carolina’s offense to 464.7 yards per game—third best in the American Conference. Now he inherits an Ole Miss unit that ranks third nationally in total offense (498.1 ypg), third in passing (309.6 ypg), and 11th in scoring (37.3 ppg). Senior transfer Trinidad Chambliss has posted 3,016 passing yards, 18 TDs, three INTs (65.5% completion), and 470 rushing yards with six scores, totaling 3,486 yards of offense. With Chambliss’s extra-year waiver uncertain, Baker publicly backs backup Austin Simmons as the next signal-caller.
Move over Hollywood reboots—Ole Miss just green-lit John David Baker 2.0. Expect Baker’s playbook to arrive with its own theme music and a Q&A session with the quarterback room that rivals “The Bachelor.” Will Chambliss secure his extra-year rose? Or will Simmons crash this gridiron romance with a last-minute Hail Mary? Either way, Oxford is bracing for a new era where coordinators moonlight as therapists and every snap is a cliffhanger. Stay tuned for drama more explosive than a touchdown spike in a library.
Lacy’s Lightning: Rebel RB Charging Toward Heisman Fame
Kewan Lacy burst onto the scene in Oxford in 2025, becoming Ole Miss’s first-ever Doak Walker finalist. The Missouri transfer compiled 1,279 rushing yards on 258 carries and 20 rushing touchdowns—shattering the previous school record of 16. His 17 all-purpose scores also set a new standard. Those 20 rushing TDs place him among only a dozen SEC rushers in school history to hit the mark. The 11-1 Rebels snagged the No. 6 CFP seed and will host Tulane. In CBS Sports’ early 2026 Heisman predictions, Lacy ranks second in FBS rushing touchdowns, averaging five yards per carry and adding 25 receptions.
Breaking records is Lacy’s side hustle; retirement plans include starring in “RB X: Judgment Day.” Word on The Grove is that his offseason schedule involves bench-pressing linebackers and tutoring squirrels in route-running. CBS’s early Heisman buzz labels him a “breakout star,” which is code for “ole Miss fans will build a statue.” As if school records weren’t enough, expect Lacy to release his own cereal—“Touchdown O’s”—and trademark the victory dance that ends with him surfing the end zone in a mosquito net.
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