Happy Friday, Rebels. Camp is quietly building toward a defense that Bryan Brown thinks can top the record-setting 2024 unit, four Rebels landed on the AP’s preseason All-America teams, and the case for Trinidad Chambliss’s final season keeps sharpening. Off the gridiron, the soccer team is 2-0 and packing for Charleston, and Ole Miss just posted a record fundraising year as it leans into college sports’ new economics. Plenty to chew on with the Sept. 6 opener against Louisville now just over two weeks out. Hotty Toddy.
Football
This Defense “Has a Chance to Be” Better Than the Record 2024 Unit
Wed., Aug. 19 · last 48 hours. The 2024 Rebels allowed just 14.4 points a game, and coordinator Bryan Brown says this group can be better. With Will Echoles and Kam Franklin anchoring the front and a wave of portal additions adding depth at every level, the ceiling is real — if the execution matches the talent. (Yahoo Sports)
Why the Preseason Projections Might Be Missing the Real Story
Wed., Aug. 19 · last 48 hours. The models and win-total math keep filing Ole Miss into the “very good, not elite” tier, but that read may be underselling the Rebels. If the defense hits its ceiling and hands Chambliss short fields all fall, the offense’s scoring math changes — and so does a season that looks tidy only on a spreadsheet. (HottyToddy.com)
Four Rebels Land on the AP Preseason All-America Teams
Tue., Aug. 18. The Associated Press put four Rebels on its preseason All-America teams: Kewan Lacy earned first-team honors after his 1,567-yard, 24-touchdown debut, with Trinidad Chambliss, kicker Lucas Carneiro and defensive tackle Will Echoles all named to the second team. National recognition befitting a College Football Playoff roster. (Sports Illustrated)
Kewan Lacy Adds the Doak Walker Watch List to His Collection
Tue., Aug. 18. Lacy landed on the preseason watch list for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back. A finalist a year ago, he returns as one of the clear favorites after resetting Ole Miss’s single-season records — though he’s made no secret that his sights are set even higher this fall. (Sports Illustrated)
What Would Make Chambliss Even Better in His Final Season
Mon., Aug. 17. A full year of SEC reps and a system built to his strengths already point Chambliss toward a monster senior season. The next step, this argues, is stacking the quiet stuff — cleaner pre-snap decisions and situational command — the kind of polish that turns a great season into a Heisman-caliber one. (Sports Illustrated)
A First Look at Ole Miss’s Projected 2026 Depth Chart
Fri., Aug. 14. A position-by-position projection of how Pete Golding’s roster shakes out, with Chambliss back for a fifth year atop an offense that returns real pieces and a defense reshaped by the portal. Right tackle remains the headline question, but the two-deep is rounding into a genuine top-15 shape. (Sports Illustrated)
Women’s Sports
Soccer Takes a 2-0 Start on the Road to Charleston
Thu., Aug. 20 · last 24 hours. Todd Shulenberger’s Rebels are unbeaten through two, outscoring opponents 3-1 while piling up shots and corners. Next up is a trip to Charleston, where the young coach will look to keep the early momentum — and the sharper finishing from the Louisiana win — rolling before conference play arrives. (HottyToddy.com)
Ole Miss News
Record Fundraising Signals Ole Miss Is Ready for the New Era
Thu., Aug. 20 · last 24 hours. Ole Miss reported a record $284.6 million in fundraising for fiscal 2026, including $107.9 million through its athletics foundation. As roster costs climb across college sports — football alone runs near $36 million — the fundraising haul is the war chest that keeps the Rebels competitive in the revenue-sharing age. (HottyToddy.com)
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