OXFORD – Miss. — The Rebels are coming off one of the most successful years in program history, finishing 13–2 and making a deep run in the College Football Playoff semifinals. It was a season defined by resilience, growth, and consistency — one that established Ole Miss as a legitimate national contender.
With that foundation in place, the focus quickly shifted to sustaining success. Rather than overhaul a roster that proved it could compete on the sport’s biggest stage, head coach Pete Golding and his staff targeted specific areas for reinforcement. The result is an offensive transfer class built to complement an already playoff-tested core, adding depth, versatility, and competition at every level.
What follows is a position-by-position look at how Ole Miss addressed the offense through the transfer portal — and why the Rebels remain positioned to contend moving forward.
Quarterbacks
Howard will be making his return to Oxford after committing to Golding and Ole Miss out of the transfer portal from Louisiana, which he transferred to after spending two seasons with the Rebels, which came after a year spent with LSU.
He utilized his redshirt after the season in Baton Rouge, which means that he’ll return to Ole Miss with one year of eligibility left. As a transfer, he’s rated as a three-star, which may be a bit generous considering that he’s only thrown for 218 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions through four seasons. So, he still needs to prove himself.
Knight, on the other hand, is rated as a four-star transfer after only seeing action in two games during his freshman season with the Tigers, to whom he committed as a five-star out of high school over Ole Miss and others.
He saw late-game action early in the season against Ball State, where he threw for 20 yards. However, when he got his first start against Mercer later in the season, he made the most of it, throwing for 239 yards and two touchdowns with a 75% completion rate. He also put his ability to improvise on showcase, as he ran for 178 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries.
With Ole Miss optimistic that quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ chances of playing another year are strong, but still up in the air, the Rebels will have a great quarterback room regardless of what the situation looks like by the time the 2026 season comes around.
Running backs
Frazier is one of the best pick-ups for the Rebels in the portal, as the former three-star and Michigan State running back ran for over 500 yards on 116 carries last year as a sophomore. The Texas native has a speed and physicality that sets him apart.
On the other hand, Dye may not just turn out to be the best, but also one of the most overlooked additions. The tailback for Southern Utah tallied over 1,800 yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground for the Thunderbirds in 2025.
He made his way to Cedar City via UTEP, where he only appeared in three games and recorded very minimal stats. The staff in Utah saw his potential, though, and let him do what he’s proven he can be one of the best at. On 295 carries, the tailback ran for over 150 yards and at least two touchdowns in nine games last season. Hopefully, his skills will translate.
Lindsey didn’t see the field as a freshman last season, mainly due to off-the-field issues. Ole Miss was never quite a factor in the former three-star’s high school recruitment, but he’ll certainly be a nice addition for the 2026 season as a redshirt-freshman.
Wide receivers
- Former Texas, Washington and Syracuse wide receiver Johntay Cook II
- Former Syracuse wide receiver Darrell Gill
- Former Jackson State and Virginia Tech wide receiver Isaiah Spencer
- Former Kentucky wide receiver Cameron Miller
- Former Auburn wide receiver Horatio Fields (expected to sign with Ole Miss)
Cook may be the most familiar name to college football fans, given his history. As a former five-star out of high school, he committed to the in-state Longhorns but left the team midway through his second season and committed to Washington in December 2024. He then announced a month later that he’d be leaving the team, committing to Syracuse in May 2025.
He recorded 45 receptions for 549 yards and two touchdowns with the Orange last season. Cook has the potential to be great; he and the Rebels just need to commit to his development and find his spot within the offense.
Gill, Cook’s teammate last season, was right behind him, catching 32 passes for 506 yards and five touchdowns. He has recorded 1,136 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in three seasons with Syracuse, averaging 16.2 yards per reception.
The Virginia Tech transfer, Spencer, only tallied 14 receptions for 194 yards last season, but showed his true potential with the Jackson State Tigers during the 2024 season, when he brought in 35 balls for 660 yards and eight touchdowns.
Miller had a decent freshman season with Kentucky last year, recording 13 receptions for 141 yards. The former three-star and two-way player in high school will now be looking to show off what he’s capable of in Oxford.
Fields was in what he thought would be his final season with Auburn last year. He had played in four games, notching 12 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown, but a broken foot brought an end to his season. It also gives him another year of eligibility. He is expected to sign with the Rebels.
Tight ends
Ole Miss managed to land two major additions to help add depth to the tight end room with Smith and Prieskorn. Both were former three-star recruits out of high school and will have three years of eligibility remaining as redshirt sophomores.
Smith had a nice freshman season in Columbia in 2023, recording 10 receptions for over 100 yards. However, he did not play last season after he decided early on that he’d like to preserve his redshirt and transfer once the window opened.
Prieskorn did not play in his two seasons at Michigan, aside from some reps on special teams last season. He is also the younger brother of former Ole Miss tight end Caden Prieskorn. Both will likely play the role of vertical threats, rather than blockers.
Offensive linemen
Golding landed one of his best commitments of the 2026 transfer portal with the commitment of Curne, the former four-star prospect who almost chose the Rebels out of high school, but ended up in Baton Rouge instead.
As a freshman last season, Curne started five games for the Tigers and saw plenty of action, meaning he’ll bring some experience to the trenches. He’ll also bring impressive athleticism, as he runs a sub-five-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4, 320 pounds.
The Rebels will be getting plenty more experience in Everett, though, who’s looking to play his sixth season of college football in Oxford. He originally spent two years with App State before transferring to Norman and spending three seasons with the Sooners. Everett will gain an extra year of eligibility due to a season-ending injury in September.
Wangoy is unlike the other two: the England native will enter Oxford as a redshirt-sophomore with little experience. He redshirted his freshman year and saw no playing time last season, but at 6-foot-8, 355 pounds, there’s tons of potential.
Kinsler, the newest portal addition for the Rebels, will also provide nice size in the trenches next to the others at 6-foot-6, 333 pounds with two years of eligibility remaining. The Rebels managed to beat out SEC rivals Auburn and Arkansas for the Florida native.
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Noah Scoggins
Noah is from Killeen, Texas, and graduated from Early College High School. He grew up in the Birmingham, Alabama, area and is now a second-year senior at the University of Alabama and will graduate in the spring. He is currently majoring in news media with a focus in sports media, as well as a minor in criminal justice. Noah has always loved and been passionate about college athletics and wants to share his love for sports.
