As calendars continue to be marked in Mississippi ahead of the highly anticipated 2025 college football season, we now have a better look at where one of the state’s teams is ranked among some of the top programs in the sport.
Coming in at No. 15 in the U.S. LBM Coaches Poll is Ole Miss. Despite returning just a couple of starters on both sides of the ball and losing some of the most decorated players in team history to the NFL Draft, coaches across the country are continuing to buy stock in Lane Kiffin’s program, as is evidenced by the top-15 ranking.
Last year, Ole Miss fell just shy of College Football Playoff expectations after losing conference matchups against Kentucky, LSU, and Florida. The red and blue did, however, have notable performances versus Georgia, South Carolina, and a 32-point victory over Duke to rubberstamp double-digit wins in the left column for a second consecutive year. This year, the Rebels will have a new look, with some familiar faces to complement a fresh set of faces from other schools.
Taking over at quarterback now that record-setting signal caller Jaxson Dart is vying for a starting gig with the New York Giants will be Austin Simmons, a southpaw with big shoes to fill. Simmons, who has sat back as Dart’s understudy for the past two seasons, is now ready to take the reins of a Kiffin-led offense with a myriad of weapons at his disposal.
Returning wideout Cayden Lee and tight end Dae’Quan Wright are joined by a transfer-heavy field of pass-catchers, including De’Zhaun Stribling (Oklahoma State), Harrison Wallace III (Penn State), Deuce Alexander (Wake Forest), and Luke Hasz (Arkansas), among others. Five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham, out of Choctaw County, will also vie for reps.
At running back, where Kiffin’s offense atypically struggled last year, returner Logan Diggs will be featured alongside transfers Kewan Lacy (Missouri) and Damien Taylor (Troy), as well as promising freshman Shekai Mills-Knight, in looking to bring a once-great ground game back to its former glory.
At offensive line, Ole Miss returns tackles Diego Pounds and Jayden Williams to keep edge rushers from getting to Simmons. Third-year Rebel lineman Brycen Sanders is anticipated to take over at center, while the two guard spots are likely to be filled by UAB transfer Delano Townsend and Arkansas transfer Patrick Kutas.
On the defensive side of the ball, Pete Golding worked to ensure his group would not experience a drastic dropoff after last year’s unit was one of the best in the nation. Though he lost his entire starting defensive line, a standout linebacker, a lockdown defensive back, and other prominent pieces in the secondary, Golding is confident that his variation of returners and newcomers will be just as gritty as any other group he’s coached.
The defensive line is likely to be anchored by Canton native Zxavian Harris and Moss Point’s Jamarious Brown, with LSU transfer Da’Shawn Womack, Nebraska transfer Princewill Umanmielen, and Rebel standout Suntarine Perkins projected to earn reps at the edge. Returning linebacker TJ Dottery will help a field of transfers, including Tahj Chambers (Missouri State), Andrew Jones (Grambling), and Jaden Yates (Marshall), acclimate to Golding’s system.
The secondary will have the most new faces, for which fans will have to gain familiarity. Joining returning defensive back Chris Graves Jr. in pass coverage will be transfers Jaylon Braxton (Arkansas), Ricky Fletcher (South Alabama), Tavoy Feagan (Clemson), and Antonio Kite (Auburn), among others.
At safety, with TJ Banks recovering from a knee injury, the position will likely be held down by newcomers. Kapena Gushiken (Washington State), Wydett Williams Jr. (Louisiana-Monroe), and Sage Ryan (LSU).
Ole Miss will kick off the 2025 season on August 30 when Georgia State rolls into Oxford. The Rebels’ full schedule can be found here, and the full U.S. LBM Coaches Poll, which features nine SEC teams, can be found below:
- Texas
- Ohio State
- Penn State
- Georgia
- Notre Dame
- Clemson
- Oregon
- Alabama
- LSU
- Miami
- Arizona State
- Illinois
- South Carolina
- Michigan
- Ole Miss
- SMU
- Florida
- Tennessee
- Indiana
- Kansas State
- Texas A&M
- Iowa State
- BYU
- Texas Tech
- Boise State
Southern Miss head coach Charles Huff was among the field of voters for the poll. Neither his Golden Eagles nor Mississippi State received top-25 votes.
