The hype continues to build around the Ole Miss football team ahead of the upcoming season, with the Associated Press being the latest publication to rank the Rebels in the top 10.
Ole Miss, entering year one of the Pete Golding era, landed at No. 9 in the AP’s debut top 25 of the 2026-27 campaign after ending the most recent campaign as one of the top programs in college football. The Rebels were ranked No. 10 in the Coaches Poll on Aug. 4.
Ole Miss ended the 2025-26 season in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff and look to turn the page to a new chapter under the guidance of a familiar face. Golding took over as head coach right before the playoff run and right after the unprecedented departure of Lane Kiffin, who pursued a new venture at LSU. The defensive coordinator-turned-frontman led the Rebels to a pair of postseason wins before the team lost a heartbreaker to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.
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Golding and Ole Miss scored major wins off the field during the offseason, with star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, standout running back Kewan Lacy, and disruptive defensive tackle Will Echoles, among many other key pieces, announcing their return for another year. The newly minted head coach’s staff also went to work in the transfer portal, reeling in a class widely considered to be ranked in the top three nationally.
Notable portal additions include edge rusher Blake Purchase (Oregon), defensive back Joenel Aguero (Georgia), defensive back Sharif Denson (Florida), wide receiver Johntay Cook II (Syracuse), linebacker Luke Ferrelli (Clemson), linebacker Keaton Thomas (Baylor), and wide receiver Darrell Gill Jr. (Syracuse).
Ole Miss will begin the highly-anticipated upcoming season versus Louisville in Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on Sept. 6.
The full AP top 25, which features nine SEC teams, can be found below:
- Ohio State
- Oregon
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Texas
- Indiana
- Miami
- Texas A&M
- Ole Miss
- Oklahoma
- LSU
- Texas Tech
- Alabama
- BYU
- USC
- Michigan
- Washington
- Penn State
- SMU
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Iowa
- Houston
- Louisville
- Missouri
Mississippi State and Southern Miss did not earn any top 25 votes, but both will soon have the chance to catch the nation’s attention. Both programs kick off the upcoming season on Sept. 5, with the Bulldogs facing Louisiana Monroe at home and the Golden Eagles hosting Alcorn State.
