Ole Miss is making one thing certain ahead of its 2026-27 season opener — the college football world better keep an eye out for quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy.
The university’s athletics department launched a Heisman campaign for the two star athletes in July, promoting both Chambliss and Lacy as legitimate contenders for the crown jewel of college football awards. The Heisman Trophy is presented annually to the top player in the sport. Last year’s winner was national championship-winning Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
This year, Ole Miss is looking to mark a first off the program’s checklist: bring the prestigious award to Oxford. And the belief within the athletics facilities is that Chambliss and Lacy have a legitimate shot at being awarded for their expected excellence on the field. To highlight this, Ole Miss has begun a marketing campaign unlike any other program has embarked upon.
Last week, multiple video screens in New York City’s iconic Times Square lit up with the “Trinidad Kewan ’26” promotional message, along with representations of the players individually. Ole Miss has since gone across the U.S. to the Entertainment Capital of the World to promote Chambliss and Lacy at one of the most unique performing venues in the world. On Sunday morning, the exterior of the Las Vegas Sphere showcased the Rebel standouts and will continue to do so leading up to the Sept. 6 season opener versus Louisville in Nashville.
Putting #H6I5MEN on the world’s largest LED screen 🪩
Starting today at 11 AM CST/9AM PST pic.twitter.com/hiI3xbky3W
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 30, 2026
“Featuring our student-athletes on Sphere is a tremendous brand growth opportunity for Ole Miss,” Ole Miss Athletics Director Keith Carter said. “Trinidad and Kewan have put themselves in a position to be part of the national conversation for the Heisman Trophy and other awards, and this groundbreaking activation gives us a unique platform to celebrate them and share their stories with audiences from across the country and around the world.”
Both players are supporting each other this season
Chambliss and Lacy are among the most talked about current college football players, and justifiably so, given that their prolific 2025-26 campaign paved the way for the Rebels to win 13 games and reach the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
As for the Heisman push, there is no internal competition between Chambliss and Lacy to win the award, nor are they engaging in playful banter regarding who has the best odds at being named the top college football player in the country. Instead, Chambliss and Lacy are focused on doing their part individually to put Ole Miss in the best position to return to the College Football Playoff, and even win a national championship.
“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 during 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.”
Heisman hype is not a distraction
The result on the scoreboard matters more to Chambliss and Lacy than any individual accolade, and newly minted Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding has taken note of the approach he deems admirable. When asked about the Heisman campaign, Golding acknowledged that there is a natural concern about it becoming a sideshow, but he’s also seen the fruit of his two players’ work and has assurance that their priorities are in the right place.
“They’re working extremely hard, and we demand a lot out of them. But there are some of these individual awards for them that are important to them, and it’s not going to take away from what they need to do to win the football game,” Golding said.
“I think [Lacy] will be the first one to tell you that. If we need to throw it 60 times to win, let’s throw it 60 times to win,” he continued. “Your concern, always outside looking in, is, hey, does this become a distraction? Those two are wired the right way. I’m not concerned with how they’re going to practice and prepare. They’re going to do everything they can to win the football game.”
Chambliss wrapped up the 2025-26 season with nearly 4,500 all-purpose yards and 30 total touchdowns with just three turnovers. Lacy was an All-American who logged 1,567 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on 306 carries. Each elected to run it back at Ole Miss rather than following former head coach Lane Kiffin to LSU, and have remained fan favorites in Oxford because of that decision.
The two are currently locked in on the season opener against Louisville over what honors they receive this year. And, proving Golding right, Lacy said that he and Chambliss are too focused on mastering their game and pushing one another to improve daily to the point that the Heisman campaign is not even a viable distraction that could cause them to stumble.
“I feel like the culture we’ve built at Ole Miss — me and Trinidad and everybody else there — we all have the right mindset,” Lacy said. “We won’t let any outside noise distract us from getting better today or push us to be the best [we can be].”
