Ole Miss Linebacker Room: First glance at the departures and additions for Pete Golding’s linebackers
by Zach Moreth | Jan 22, 2026 | Football |
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding and the Rebels have added another strong linebacker, Luke Ferrelli, a transfer from Cal, further strengthening the room through movement in the portal.
Let’s take a look at how the linebacker situation at Ole Miss has developed over the last two-and-a-half weeks.
Keaton Thomas commits to the Rebs
The action began one day into portal season, on January 3rd, when Keaton Thomas, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Baylor linebacker, announced he would be transferring to Ole Miss. In two seasons with the Bears, Thomas totaled over 200 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, and three pass deflections.
At that point in time, it appeared he would slide into the middle linebacker role with TJ Dottery, mirroring the play style of Pooh Paul in 2024.
Chris Jones and TJ Dottery depart
Two days later, on the 5th, Golding received his second linebacker commitment, this one from Chris Jones, the Southern Miss transfer who performed at an elite level this past fall. At that point, the predicted linebacker room consisted of Dottery, Thomas, and Jones.
Following the commitments of Thomas and Jones to the Rebels, Ole Miss progressed farther into January, with nearly every defensive starter announcing their intent to return to Ole Miss in 2026 — with the exception of Dottery. The Fiesta Bowl came and went, but still, the green-dot leader of the defense had yet to agree to an NIL deal with the Rebels.
After weeks of rumor and speculation, the news finally broke seven days after the Fiesta Bowl on January 15th that TJ would enter his name into the portal. Within that week-long time frame, the Rebs also received news that Southern Miss transfer Chris Jones was going to re-enter the portal. Although fans got nervous, they needn’t have as Coach Golding responded with a transfer commitment hours later on the evening of the 15th when Tah’j Butler committed.
Butler, the Georgia Tech linebacker with two years of eligibility, was very consistent with his production over his time at Tech. He tallied 34 total tackles this past season while also being a key player in the Yellow Jackets’ pass defense with one interception and three pass deflections. In a matter of one week, Golding lost Dottery and Jones, gained Butler, and realized that he was going to need one more proven player in the position group.
Luke Ferrelli flips to the Sip
Nearing the end of the portal period, the Ole Miss staff locked in their target, Luke Ferrelli, who previously committed to Clemson out of the portal — but failed to sign his revenue-sharing agreement. The ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year possesses a downhill, physical, and fast play style, aligning perfectly with the additions of Thomas and Butler.
In hindsight, the deductions of Dottery (LSU) and Jones (Florida State) allowed Golding full access to recruit Butler and Ferrelli, two players who each have several years of eligibility. Previewing next year’s room, it’s predicted that Thomas and Ferrelli will get the starting nods, with Butler and Jarcoby Hopson, among others, rotating on a regular basis.
As portal season comes to a conclusion, be sure to stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for all of your Ole Miss sports updates and needs.
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Zach Moreth
Zach is a sophomore at Ole Miss and a Digital Content Creator with The Rebel Walk. Outside of covering sports, he enjoys spending time with family and hanging out with friends. Zach plans on graduating from Ole Miss in 2027 with a Sports Administration degree.
