The preseason accolades keep coming for Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy.
On Monday, the Ole Miss quarterback and running back were added to the Maxwell Award watchlist. The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the top college football player.
A familiar face, Chambliss was a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award last season and ranks among the top returning quarterbacks in the nation after throwing for 3,937 yards and 22 touchdowns while adding 527 yards and eight scores on the ground a year ago. The 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year and Conerly Trophy winner continues to receive preseason praise headed into 2026, recently earning a spot on the preseason All-SEC first team.
One of the country’s top returners at running back, Lacy set a pair of program records with 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns on the way to first team All-American honors in 2025. Ole Miss’ first-ever finalist for the 2025 Doak Walker Award, Lacy adds Maxwell Award preseason watch list to his 2026 catalog that already includes a preseason first team All-SEC nod and being a featured athlete on EA Sports’ College Football 27.
The pair make Ole Miss one of 16 programs across college football with multiple honorees on the Maxwell Award preseason watch list. Ole Miss has even launched a Heisman campaign for the two players, and both say they’re supporting each other through the process.
“I think it’s awesome. I’m nothing without Kewan. He’s my partner in crime. If he wins it, I’m hyped up,” Chambliss said at SEC Media Days, with Lacy adding, “We don’t say any jokes or anything like that. With me and him, we have such a good relationship. Whether he wins or I win, we’re all winning. At the end of the day, we’re going to push each other to be the best we can be.”
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced on Nov. 10, with the three finalists being unveiled on Nov. 24. The winner of the award will be announced as a part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on Dec. 10.
Ole Miss will begin the upcoming season versus Louisville in Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on Sept. 6.
