Lists like Pro Football Focus’ Top 50 players are always good for a mid‑summer pulse check.
They’re not the final word on anything, but they tell you who’s already earned national respect heading into a new season.
And this year, Ole Miss shows up in a big way.
Three Rebels made the cut. All three landed inside the top 20. Only one other program can say that, and it’s Notre Dame. That’s a fun nugget, but it also speaks to how much high‑end talent Ole Miss brings into 2026.
Kewan Lacy checks in at No. 10, which feels about right for one of the best pure runners in college football. He piled up 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, carried the ball more than 300 times, and still looked fresh in November. He’s the engine of the offense and one of the most complete backs in the sport.
Trinidad Chambliss isn’t far behind at No. 12. His 2025 season was a clinic in efficiency and control.
Nearly 4,000 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, only three interceptions, plus more than 500 rushing yards. He started 13 straight games and looked like a veteran doing it. When PFF talks about quarterbacks who tilt the field, Chambliss fits the description.
And then there’s Will Echoles at No. 19, who quietly turned into one of the most productive defenders in the SEC. 68 tackles, double‑digit tackles for loss, five sacks, and a knack for showing up in the right spot at the right time. He’s the kind of player who makes a defense feel organized.
Seeing all three on a national list is a nice moment for the program. It’s validation. It’s recognition. It’s proof that Ole Miss isn’t sneaking up on anyone this fall. The Rebels have star power, and people outside Oxford know it.
But being on the preseason list isn’t the goal.
Ole Miss wants players on the end‑of‑season list. And if the Rebels want to reach the goals they’ve set for themselves, they’ll want more than three names on it by December.
That’s the difference between being talented and being a contender. You need your stars to stay stars, and you need a few more to emerge along the way.
For now, though, this is a good sign. Three Rebels in the top 20. A roster that’s earning national respect. And a season coming up that feels like it has real potential.
The preseason nods are nice.
The postseason ones are what Ole Miss is chasing.
Pro Football Focus Top 50 CFB Players
- Jeremiah Smith, WR – Ohio State
- Leonard Moore, CB – Notre Dame
- Colin Simmons, EDGE – Texas
- Julian Sayin, QB – Ohio State
- Malachi Toney, WR – Miami
- Ahmad Hardy, RB – Missouri
- Dante Moore, QB – Oregon
- Carter Smith, OT – Indiana
- Arch Manning, QB – Texas
- Kewan Lacy, RB – Ole Miss
- KJ Bolden, S – Georgia
- Trinidad Chambliss, QB – Ole Miss
- A.J. Holmes, DL – Texas Tech
- CJ Carr, QB – Notre Dame
- Bray Hubbard, S – Alabama
- Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, LB – Notre Dame
- Clev Lubin, EDGE – Louisville
- Cayden Green, OT – Missouri
- Will Echoles, DL – Ole Miss
- Dylan Stewart, EDGE – South Carolina
- Trevor Goosby, OT – Texas
- Rasheem Biles, LB – Texas
- A’Mauri Washington, DL – Oregon
- John Henry Daley, EDGE – Michigan
- Kade Pieper, G – Iowa
- Evan Tengesdahl, G – Cincinnati
- KJ Duff, WR – Rutgers
- Austin Romaine, LB – Texas Tech
- Darian Mensah, QB – Miami
- Jayden Maiava, QB – USC
- David Stone, DL – Oklahoma
- Teitum Tuioti, EDGE – Oregon
- Matayo Uiagalelei, EDGE – Oregon
- Trevor Lauck, OT – Iowa
- Mario Craver, WR – Texas A&M
- Caleb Hawkins, RB – Oklahoma State
- Jaden Baugh, RB – Florida
- Dijon Lee Jr., CB – Alabama
- Brandon Finney Jr., CB – Oregon
- Cam Coleman, WR – Texas
- Sam Leavitt, QB – LSU
- Bryce Fitzgerald, S – Miami
- Jordan Seaton, OT – LSU
- Brauntae Johnson, S – Notre Dame
- Jontez Williams, CB – USC
- Amare Ferrell, S – Indiana
- Kelley Jones, CB – Mississippi State
- LJ Martin, RB – BYU
- Trey’Dez Green, TE – LSU
- Jamari Johnson, TE – Oregon
