Ole Miss football is entering one of the most fascinating seasons in program history.
Lane Kiffin is gone. Pete Golding has taken over. Expectations remain sky high. And according to ON3’s Jake Crain, the Rebels are still very much a contender in the SEC race.
During an appearance on Talk of Champions, Crain touched on everything from Lane Kiffin’s continued comments about Ole Miss to why he believes the Rebels belong in the national championship conversation heading into 2026.
“Lane Can’t Get Over It”
A major portion of the conversation centered around Kiffin’s latest public comments regarding Ole Miss and the College Football Playoff. Crain believes the former Rebels coach continues to keep Ole Miss in the spotlight because he thrives on attention.
“I think Lane got into the spotlight this way, and he loves being the spotlight,” Crain said. “It’s getting tiring.”
Kiffin recently claimed Ole Miss would have reached the national championship game had he coached the Rebels through the playoff instead of Pete Golding. Crain viewed the comments as more noise than substance, especially after Golding guided Ole Miss to a Sugar Bowl victory. To Crain, the biggest issue is perception.
“If you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk,” he said while discussing Kiffin’s move to LSU and the expectations attached to a massive roster investment.
The conversation also touched on the increasingly heated buildup toward Ole Miss’ highly anticipated matchup against LSU on Sept. 19, a game Crain believes could become one of the most emotionally charged environments in recent SEC memory.
“There may be more hate in that game than almost any game we’ve seen in a long time,” Crain joked.
Pete Golding Earned This Opportunity
While much of the offseason discussion nationally has centered around Kiffin leaving Oxford, Crain believes Ole Miss handled the transition exactly the way it needed to. He praised athletic director Keith Carter for promoting Golding and maintaining stability within the program.
“There’s an art form to not doing stupid things and showing strength,” Crain said. “I think Ole Miss made the right decision.”
That continuity matters, especially considering how much talent the Rebels retained. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy both elected to stay at Ole Miss and play for Golding, a move Crain believes could define the Rebels’ ceiling this season.
“Put Some Respect on Trinidad Chambliss”
Crain was especially vocal about what he sees as national disrespect toward Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. In his eyes, Chambliss is one of the best quarterbacks in college football, regardless of conference or logo.
“When I watch him pass, he doesn’t throw the ball, he passes it,” Crain said. “He’s a natural passer.”
He also praised Kewan Lacy, comparing the Ole Miss running back to former Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love because of his size, balance and explosiveness. Crain went as far as calling Chambliss and Lacy the most underrated quarterback-running back duo in the country, and he made it clear he believes Ole Miss is being undervalued nationally because of branding bias.
“The logo thing needs to die,” Crain said.
Postseason Baseball Confidence Remains High
Crain also weighed in on Ole Miss baseball heading into regional play in Nebraska, and his prediction was simple: he believes the Rebels are getting out of Lincoln.
“I think Ole Miss is dangerous because they don’t feel respected,” Crain said while discussing the regional bracket.
He pointed to the grind of the SEC schedule, Ole Miss’ postseason experience and the Rebels’ offensive upside as reasons the team could make another deep postseason push.
