newsweek
The Ole Miss Rebels, currently 6-3 overall and 4-3 in SEC play, are reeling from a 42-7 home loss to Georgia last weekend. Two weeks earlier, they dropped a 34-27 decision at Texas. Both defeats came against ranked opponents in the College Football Playoff hunt, and with the season winding down, the Rebels can ill afford more setbacks.
Next up is a critical SEC road game at Oklahoma on Saturday, with their CFP hopes potentially on the line. The pressure is mounting for head coach Pete Golding's team, and now they will likely have to navigate the challenge without their most dynamic offensive player.
On Thursday, On3's Pete Nakos reported that star running back Kewan Lacy will miss the remainder of the 2026 season because of a shoulder injury. Lacy injured his left shoulder in the loss to Texas on Oct. 24 and has not been able to recover.
Lacy had emerged as one of college football's premier running backs last season, leading the FBS with 306 attempts while rushing for 1,567 yards (third nationally) and 24 touchdowns (second), averaging 5.1 yards per carry, and adding 177 receiving yards. He earned first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC honors and entered this year on the preseason watchlist for several national awards.
His third—and potentially final—college season ends after just six games, during which he ran for 388 yards and five touchdowns on 78 carries (5.0 yards per carry).
Makhi Frazier, a junior transfer from Michigan State, and sophomore Shekai Mills-Knight will continue to handle the bulk of the carries for Ole Miss. Frazier has rushed for 365 yards on 72 attempts this season (5.1 yards per carry), while Mills-Knight has gained 165 yards and scored three touchdowns on 33 carries (5.0 yards per carry).
The Sooners boast one of the nation's top defenses, leading the SEC in passing yards allowed per game (170.7) while ranking fifth in the conference in sacks (26) and fourth in interceptions (nine). With quarterback Trinidad Chambliss under that kind of pressure on Saturday, losing their best running back is a brutal blow—especially with two games remaining after that.
Ole Miss will close out its season at home against Wofford on Nov. 21, followed by Mississippi State on Nov. 27.
Key Analysis
The timing of Lacy's injury couldn't be worse for the Rebels. Facing an Oklahoma defense that excels at disrupting opposing passing games, Ole Miss would have leaned heavily on Lacy's dual-threat ability to keep the chains moving. Instead, the load shifts to Frazier and Mills-Knight, who have been productive in limited roles but lack Lacy's game-breaking pedigree. With CFP aspirations hanging by a thread, Ole Miss must now prove it can adapt quickly—or risk seeing its season slip away.
Originally reported by newsweek.