If you’re looking for the clearest sign that Ole Miss built its defense for the upcoming season the right way, start with a name most fans probably hadn’t thought much about until this week: Jarcoby Hopson.
He’s the fourth linebacker in the rotation. Not the headliner. Not the transfer with a long résumé. Not the freshman everyone has been buzzing about. The fourth guy. And Pete Golding made a point Monday to single him out.
“He’s doing some really good things,” Golding said at his press conference Monday. “He’s a guy in that room who is fighting for that fourth spot and has kind of solidified himself.”
That tells you something about where this room is headed.
Hopson arrived last year as a four‑star athlete with a highlight reel that looked like someone created a custom player in a video game.
Quarterback. Safety. Running back. Linebacker. He did everything at Lake Cormorant, piling up 208 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, six sacks and more than 1,200 rushing yards. Ole Miss settled him into the money, or Will, linebacker spot, and the transition wasn’t easy.
Golding didn’t hide that.
“He struggled last year with learning it, processing things and reading and diagnosing the position,” Golding said. “I would say he has made some of the biggest strides from last fall to this fall, and even from the spring to now.”
That’s why Hopson’s rise matters. He didn’t get buried behind the four transfer additions. He didn’t fade into the background while Keaton Thomas, Luke Ferrelli and Tah’j Butler arrived with starting experience. He fought his way into the rotation and, according to Golding, has “kind of solidified himself” as the fourth man up.
And here’s the twist: Hopson might not be the only surprise.
Golding said the staff feels good about four linebackers right now, but the list doesn’t stop there.
Jeremiah Collins brings SEC experience and special‑teams value. Tony Mitchell is transitioning from safety and could carve out a role. Raymond Collins has situational upside. And the freshmen — Anthony Davis Jr. and JaMichael Garrett — have already made enough noise to earn early mentions.
“The two freshmen, Anthony Davis and JaMichael Garrett, are really talented,” Golding said. “J‑Mike plays at a different speed. He could potentially have a role on special teams because of that.”
That’s how you build depth. Not with one star. Not with one transfer. With layers.
Ole Miss built this room with the idea that a long season demands more than two or three dependable linebackers. It demands options. It demands packages. It demands the ability to move players around depending on matchups.
Golding hinted you’ll see that throughout the season.
But the headline today is simple. When your fourth linebacker is suddenly one of your most improved players, and when your freshmen are already pushing for roles, and when your transfers have stabilized the top of the rotation, you’re looking at a position group that might quietly be the deepest on the roster.
Hopson is the name Ole Miss fans are just now learning.
By November, he might be one of the names they know best.
