Most of the Ole Miss offense is set.
Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy will start in the backfield, Luke Hasz and Caleb Odom will hold the tight end positions, and several wide receivers will be getting a lot of playing time.
The biggest questions, though, are with the biggest players on the Ole Miss roster: the offensive line.
To be fair, most of the pieces are already in place. Terez Davis has locked down left tackle. The interior three are proven and stable. But right tackle is the one spot that still feels unsettled, and fall camp is where the staff hopes clarity finally shows up.
There are two obvious candidates: Tommy Kinsler IV and Carius Curne. Both are talented. Both are new to the program. Both have the physical tools to win the job.
And both have questions they still have to answer.
Kinsler has the talent. The staff wants the consistency.
Tommy Kinsler is easy to like on paper. The former Miami Hurricane is big, athletic and has shown flashes that look like SEC‑level tackle play. Golding has said as much at his first preseason press conference this week.
“Tommy has flashed the ability to be an SEC player,” he said. “We just want to see it more consistently.”
That’s the sticking point. Kinsler’s highs are high, but the staff wants to see him sustain it. Golding also noted that Kinsler is heavier than he needs to be to hold up for four quarters in this league. Camp should help with that, but it’s still part of the evaluation.
Kinsler is capable of winning the job. He just has to prove he can be trusted to play winning football every snap, not every other series.
Curne has the talent, but he’s behind for multiple reasons
Carius Curne arrived with a reputation for toughness and physicality. The staff loved his tape. They loved the way he carried himself. But he hasn’t been able to stack reps the way he needs to.
“We obviously loved his ability on tape, along with the maturity component,” Golding said. “But we haven’t been able to evaluate his consistency or whether we can trust him to do things the right way on a consistent basis because he hasn’t been healthy enough to do it.”
Curne had surgery in the spring and is only now getting back to full speed. That alone puts him behind. But he also had an arrest earlier this year in Arkansas, and reports have circulated about his maturity not always being where it needs to be.
None of that disqualifies him, but it does mean he has more to prove than just his on‑field ability.
The staff believes he can be a factor. They just need to see it in real time, with real reps, and with real accountability.
These are the two clearest options, but not the only ones
Golding made it clear that the staff isn’t locked into a two‑man race. If neither Kinsler nor Curne grabs the job, Ole Miss has other paths.
“You also have guys like (Patrick) Kutas and some other players who have played a lot of football,” Golding said. “You could move one of them outside, which would create other opportunities for players on the inside.”
That’s not Plan A, but it’s a real option. Kutas has played meaningful snaps and could stabilize the position if needed. Moving him outside would shuffle the interior, but the staff is willing to do that if it means getting the best five on the field.
How Ole Miss will make the decision
Golding laid out the timeline. The first two weeks of camp are about letting players compete in their natural spots. No shuffling. No experimenting. Just reps.
The last two weeks are about tightening the rotation and figuring out who can be trusted.
“Who can we really trust to play winning football?” Golding said. “Who are the best five guys to run out there first? If an injury occurs, who do we move?”
That’s the real question. Not who looks good in shorts. Not who flashes. Who can be trusted to protect Chambliss, open up running lanes for Lacy and hold up in the SEC.
The takeaway
Right tackle is the one position on the offensive line without a clear answer.
Fall camp will decide it. And, hopefully, by the time the Rebels get to Louisville, they’ll know exactly who belongs on the right side of the line.
