History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.
Famous words from one of the greatest writers of all time, Mark Twain, and they can be applied to Ole Miss this week.
Ole Miss is hosting Hope College edge player Liam Danitz on Friday. Hope College is a Division III school.
Visiting Ole Miss on Friday! pic.twitter.com/8ZCueEb4Wu
— Liam Danitz (@LiamDanitz) January 15, 2026
Does that sound familiar?
It was about a year ago when Ole Miss began pursuing Trinidad Chambliss from Division II’s Ferris State. We know how his one season in Oxford played out (CFP semifinal, finished eighth in Heisman voting among many other things). Could Danitz be the 2026 version of the small school player that comes to Ole Miss and explodes onto the national stage?
Danitz certainly checks a lot of the boxes you want in an edge rusher in the SEC. The 6-foot-5, 227 pounder finished this last season with 46 tackles (25 solo), 21 tackles for a loss and 15 sacks. He was named to the AFCA All-America First Team, Walter Camp First Team All-American, the AP All-America Third Team as well as honored as MIAA’s Most Valuable Defensive Player.
But what most people see is that production came against Division III-caliber talent, not the elite talent you see in the SEC. However, something Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said before the Sugar Bowl should help understand why that thought isn’t always the right one to have.
“He (Chambliss) came in this league to compete against the very best and show everybody that he can do it no matter what the level is. Cause that’s always the thing to me about elite players at D2 and 1AA. You aren’t questioning their ability. You are questioning the ability of the guys they were going against,” Golding said in a media appearance in New Orleans. “I don’t look at football any different based on the level you’re at and having been D2, 1AA mid-major in the SEC, like true competitors, regardless what the stadium is, regardless how many people are in the stands.
“It’s an opportunity to go out and compete in the game that you love and play at an extremely high level to win the damn game. And that’s why you play, that’s why they keep scores. So, I think true competitive character, regardless of the level, you’re a competitor and you’re going to prepare the right way. You’re going to practice extremely hard and you’re going to go out and try to play your best game.”
Remember, Golding played college football at Delta State, a Division II school, coached at Tusculum (D-II), was defensive coordinator for two seasons at Delta State, and coached at Southeastern Louisiana (FCS) for two seasons. Then Golding moved to the FBS ranks at Southern Miss, UTSA, Alabama and, of course, Ole Miss.
If anyone is best equipped to identify a player at a lower of football as a big time player in the SEC, its Golding. (And whoever found Chambliss, which was either Lane Kiffin or Charlie Weis Jr.)
“I don’t think anything is different at this level instead of how you travel. How you travel is a lot better. The things you eat are a lot better, right? You’re not on the bus league anymore and driving 13 hours to Valdosta. So the only concern to me is when you bring in some of those guys, does the moment get too big? Because they get caught up in all the external factors.”
It’s a smart approach and since its already paid off massively once, why not try it again.
