Kewan Lacy picked up two more preseason All‑America nods this week, and at this point it feels like everyone in college football is simply acknowledging the obvious.
The Ole Miss running back was named a first‑team selection on the AP Preseason All‑America team alongside Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy. Not long after, CBS Sports released its own list, and Lacy was again a first‑team running back, this time ahead of Hardy and Miami’s Mark Fletcher Jr.
It is becoming a theme. Every time one of these preseason lists drops, Lacy’s name is sitting near the top. And Ole Miss keeps showing up elsewhere too.
CBS Sports included four Rebels in all, with Trinidad Chambliss finishing second at quarterback, and William Echoles and Lucas Carneiro landing on the second team. Carneiro even posted 42 more points than Oklahoma’s Tate Sindell with nearly identical accuracy.
There is a reason Ole Miss keeps appearing in these conversations. And Lacy is the centerpiece of all of it. His status as a superstar is cemented, not just in Oxford but across the sport. He is on the cover of EA Sports College Football 27. He has brand deals with Nike, Q‑Collar, Wingstop and The Gld Shop. He rushed for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns last season and nearly helped Ole Miss reach the national championship game. He was a Doak Walker Award finalist. He is the face of the program and one of the faces of college football.
The preseason hype reflects that. But the part that matters most is coming soon.
Lacy knows it too. He talked this summer about what it has been like to carry that kind of attention, and his answer was about as grounded as you could expect from someone whose face is on a video game cover.
“It has definitely been a grind,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get back in shape and get my mind and body right. I would say it has just been a grind getting back into it.”
That is the reality behind all the preseason lists. The branding, the NIL deals, the national recognition — none of it changes the work. Lacy was a Doak Walker finalist last season, and when asked how he takes the next step, he did not talk about numbers or awards.
“It’s really about sticking to what I’ve been doing and trying to get better every day,” he said. “I want to find something I can improve and put myself in the best position for next year.”
The hype is here. The expectations are here. The spotlight is not going anywhere.
And now the time to validate all of it is coming.
