LOOK: The new (and a few old) faces for Ole Miss football in 2025

The off-season work is on for the now-Austin-Simmons led Ole Miss football Rebels. 

The Rebels are in the early days of their strength and conditioning program. Now-sixth-year Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and staff are busy on the road recruiting. When and what spring practices look like in a few months are TBD.

Ole Miss is replacing 18 of its starting 22 in 2025-26 — nine on offense and nine on defense. The Rebels are getting a new kicker and punter, too.

Ole Miss last season returned 16 starters, the second-most in the SEC. The Rebels won 10 games for the third time in four years, finishing No. 11 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.

They’ve already answered most of their pressing roster questions for the year ahead.

Simmons steps in for record-setting quarterback Jaxson Dart. Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins and Juice Wells were replaced by transfers De’Zhaun Stribling (Oklahoma State), Caleb Odom (Alabama), Trey Wallace (Penn State), Traylon Ray (West Virginia) and Deuce Alexander (Wake Forest).

The Ole Miss defense could still use some help in the backfield. But the haul so far: Jaylon Braxton (CB, Arkansas), Princewill Umanmielen (EDGE, Nebraska), DaShawn Womack (EDGE, LSU), Tajh Chambers (LB, Missouri State), Andrew Jones (LB, Grambling), Jaden Yates (LB, Marshall), Antonio Kite (S, Auburn) and Sage Ryan (DB, LSU).

RELATED: Ole Miss has added two of On3’s Top 10 EDGE transfers

Ole Miss followed up its Top 20 high school recruiting class with the nation’s No. 3 transfer class, according to On3.

The Rebels have signed 17 transfers. The first of two portal windows is closed. Another doesn’t open until April. 

However, Ole Miss is among the teams currently pursuing Notre Dame transfer offensive lineman Pat Coogan. All players are given a small window to enter after their respective seasons come to an end. Coogan and the Irish were in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday. 

The included photos were provided by Ole Miss.

JADEN YATES AND ANDREW JONES

Yates last season was the Sun Belt Conference leader in tackles (121). He added seven tackles for loss, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and a sack. Yates had 10 tackles or more in five games. Ole Miss is replacing leading tackler Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul, Jr., a linebacker. Paul declared for the NFL Draft after one season with the Rebels and after a transfer from Arkansas.

Jones’ full-season grade for 2024 is the best (81.7) of all of Ole Miss’ portal additions thus far, according to Pro Football Focus. Jones was ranked the No. 5 linebacker in the portal by On3 and flipped from South Carolina. He had 122 total tackles (57 solo), 20.5 tackles of loss, three sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one defensive touchdown last season. Jones has one season of eligibility remaining.

AUSTIN SIMMONS AND TRACE BRUCKLER

Simmons is the fresh QB1 for Ole Miss with the record-setting Dart off to the NFL. Simmons completed 19 of 32 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns in nine games as Dart’s back-up last season. He carried five times for 14 yards. Simmons showed a glimpse of the future with an impressive spot-duty performance in the Rebels’ 28-10 win over Georgia, arguably the season’s most memorable moment.

Bruckler, a transfer, played 39 games over the past four seasons for New Mexico. He has one season of eligibility remaining and is ranked as the No. 40 tight end in the portal. He has 46 receptions, 421 yards and five touchdowns in 39 career games (24 starts).

DAE’QUAN WRIGHT AND TYLER BANKS

Wright, the one-time Virginia Tech transfer, emerged as 1B to Caden Prieskorn’s 1A last season. Prieskorn is off to the NFL. He’s one of ESPN’s 200 ‘Best Available’ for April’s draft. Wright had 27 receptions for 394 yards and four touchdowns last season. He had three for 73 and a score in the Rebels’ 52-20 win over Duke in the Gator Bowl.

Banks was mostly a reserve linebacker and special-teamer for the Rebels last season. He had 14 total tackles. He’s appeared in 31 career games, including 27 combined the last two years.

TREY HALL AND LOGAN DIGGS

Hall is a JUCO transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He has four years of eligibility remaining and rushed for 1,098 yards and 13 touchdowns on 149 carries last season. Hall averaged 7.4 yards per carry. He added 17 receptions for 121 yards another score.

Diggs is entering his second season after a transfer from LSU. He debuted in the Gator Bowl following a recovery year for an ACL tear. Diggs leads a room that now features Hall, Missouri transfer Kewan Lacy and 4-star 2025 signee Shekai Mills-Knight.

KEWAN LACY AND RAYMOND COLLINS

Lacy quickly committed to Ole Miss after entering the portal from Missouri in December. He initially chose the Tigers over Ole Miss and Alabama in the 2024 recruiting cycle. Lacy was a 4-star, as well as the nation’s No. 258 overall prospect and No. 18 running back. Lacy appeared in six games last season, finishing with 104 rushing yards on 23 carries. He had a pair of catches for nine scoreless yards.

Collins, like Banks, was mostly a reserve and special-teamer for Ole Miss last season, his first with the Rebels. Collins is a 4-star JUCO transfer from Jones College. The linebacker played in five games and had two tackles. Collins totaled 56 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and six sacks for Jones in 2023.