Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy sits atop ESPN’s list of the best running backs in college football heading into the 2026 season.
The ranking comes from a survey of more than 20 front office staffers across the sport including general managers player personnel directors and scouting directors who picked out the top returning players in the country.
Lacy’s path to the top spot didn’t start with much fanfare. He wasn’t a highly touted transfer when he joined the Rebels a year ago.
After just 23 carries in six games as a freshman at Missouri he entered the portal and found a home in Oxford. The move paid off in a big way.
The sophomore tied Ole Miss’ single-season rushing record was a Doak Walker Award finalist and helped the Rebels reach the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Lacy turned down LSU to stay with the Rebels
Following that breakout year Lacy had options. He turned down an offer from LSU among other programs to return to Ole Miss for the 2026 season.
That decision keeps one of the sport’s most productive backs in the SEC for another run.
At 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds Lacy impressed scouts last season with his quickness elusiveness and toughness.
He racked up 1,077 rushing yards after contact and led the FBS with 109 forced missed tackles according to ESPN Research. He also proved he could carry a heavy workload posting an FBS-high 306 carries and averaging 22.3 touches per game even while playing through a shoulder injury during the CFP run.
Lacy wasn’t just a north-south runner either.
He flashed breakaway speed including a 73-yard touchdown run against Miami while also showing off as a physical short-yardage threat.
He punched in 19 rushing touchdowns from inside the red zone last season.
Production against SEC defenses stood out to evaluators
A big chunk of Lacy’s damage came against SEC competition. He put up 1,010 of his rushing yards against conference defenses in his first season as a starter including a 224-yard outing on 31 carries against Florida.
That kind of output against the SEC’s level of competition helped separate him from the rest of the pack in the rankings.
One SEC director of player personnel whose team faced Ole Miss last season praised Lacy’s all-around game.
“Kewan is more elusive, he did more behind a worse offensive line, he’s got the home run ability, he can catch the ball and he’s a good pass protector,” the personnel director said. “He does everything you want.”
A former SEC staffer was even more direct about where Lacy stands among his peers.
“He’s No. 1 to me,” the staffer said. “For his size, doing all that stuff, it’s unbelievable.”
What it means for Lacy’s draft stock
If Lacy matches or improves on his production as a junior he’ll have a strong case to be the first running back taken in next year’s NFL draft.
For now though his focus stays on Oxford where he’ll try to help Ole Miss build on last season’s playoff run.
While Arkansas and other SEC programs look to build their own backfields this offseason the Rebels already know what they have.
The Hogs and the rest of the conference will have to find a way to slow down the league’s top returning rusher when Ole Miss takes the field this fall.
