The Ole Miss Star the National Media Is Sleeping On

Everybody in the country is making the Trinidad Chambliss Heisman case — and they should. But there's a case sitting in the exact same backfield that almost nobody is making, and it belongs to Kewan Lacy. With Ole Miss fall camp a week away, Steven Willis makes it in full. In 2025, Kewan Lacy ran for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns while leading the ENTIRE nation in carries — first-team All-American, first-team All-SEC, the media's No. 1 running back in the SEC, and the cover athlete of this year's College Football video game. He runs it, he protects the quarterback, and he catches it out of the backfield. He's the most complete back in the country, and the national media is sleeping on him. Then: the Ole Miss secondary — the biggest question on the roster AND the biggest reason to believe, at the very same time. It's exactly where the season broke down a year ago (Ole Miss allowed the 5th-most passing yards in the SEC, and the Miami loss came on a coverage bust), and it's now stocked with proven Power-4 starters in Jay Crawford (Auburn), Sharif Denson (Florida), Joenel Aguero (Georgia) and Edwin Joseph (Florida State), alongside returning corners Antonio Kite and Jaylon Braxton. Gel in time, and this is a Playoff team. Finally, a full breakdown of a running back room that might be the deepest in the country: Kewan Lacy, Makhi Frazier (Michigan State), Joshua Dye (Southern Utah) and JT Lindsey (LSU) — a room built to keep the workhorse fresh for the games that decide the season.