You basically can’t walk into a gas station in Oxford or Starkville right now without hearing a heated debate about who’s taking the first snap in September. It is January 2026, and the "roster management" era of college ball has turned the Mississippi football depth chart into something that looks more like a high-stakes stock market ticker than a static list of names on a whiteboard.
Honestly, the old way of thinking about depth charts is dead. You’ve got the transfer portal spinning like a revolving door, NIL deals being inked in the middle of the night, and coaching staffs that have to recruit their own locker rooms every single morning just to keep the lights on. If you're looking at a depth chart from three weeks ago, you're already looking at ancient history.
The Ole Miss Shuffle: Life After the Playoff Run
Lane Kiffin—or rather, Pete Golding, who’s been steering a lot of the ship lately—just came off a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance. That kind of success usually means everyone stays, right? Wrong. In the modern SEC, success just makes your backup players more attractive to other schools and your starters ready for the NFL.
The quarterback room in Oxford is a prime example of this chaos. With Jaxson Dart gone to the New York Giants as a first-round pick, the vacancy was supposed to be a straight battle. Then the portal hit. Deuce Knight, the former Auburn signal-caller and a massive 6-foot-4 athlete, flipped the script by committing to the Rebels on January 11.
He isn't just coming in to sit. He’s the projected centerpiece. But don't sleep on Walker Howard, who just boomeranged back to Ole Miss from ULL. It’s a messy, talented room. Trinidad Chambliss is still in the mix too, though he’s currently tangled up in a legal waiver battle for an extra year of eligibility. If Chambliss gets that waiver, the Mississippi football depth chart at QB becomes the most expensive headache in the SEC.
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Defensive Reloading in the Vaught
Losing a guy like Walter Nolen to the Arizona Cardinals hurts. Losing Princewill Umanmielen to the transfer portal on January 15 hurts even worse because nobody saw it coming after his nine-sack season.
Golding didn't panic, though. He went out and grabbed:
- Jehiem Oatis from Colorado (the former Bama big man is coming home to the Sip).
- Jordan Renaud from Alabama to shore up the edge.
- Keaton Thomas, a standout linebacker from Baylor who should step right into a starting role.
The secondary is where things get really interesting. Jaylon Braxton and Antonio Kite are sticking around, which is huge. They’ve added Jay Crawford from Auburn and Sharif Denson from Florida. Basically, the Rebels are building a "Best of the SEC" defensive backfield through the portal. It’s a bold strategy, but when you play the wide-open offenses of this conference, you need track stars in pads.
Starkville’s Reconstruction: Jeff Lebby’s Year Two
Over in Starkville, the vibe is different. It’s more blue-collar, more "we need to fix this now." Mississippi State’s 2025 season was a struggle, and Jeff Lebby knows it. The Mississippi football depth chart for the Bulldogs is undergoing a radical "Veer and Shoot" makeover.
Blake Shapen is the veteran hand at QB, but the Bulldogs just landed AJ Swann from the portal to provide some serious competition. Swann has SEC experience and isn't coming to Starkville to hold a clipboard. Behind them, you’ve still got the young guys like Kamario Taylor waiting for a crack at the rotation.
The Great Wall of Starkville?
The biggest story for State right now is the offensive line. It was a sieve at times last year. Phil Loadholt has been living on the recruiting trail. They just hosted Jordan Seaton, the top-tier tackle transfer who previously played at Colorado. If Lebby lands Seaton, the entire outlook of the Bulldogs' season changes.
They’ve already secured:
- Miles McVay from North Carolina (a massive 350-pound tackle).
- Mario Nash Jr. from Florida State.
- DJ Chester from LSU.
This is a clear philosophy shift. State is trying to get bigger, meaner, and more experienced up front to protect the run game. Speaking of the run, with Seth Davis hitting the portal, the pressure is on Davon Booth and incoming LSU transfer JT Lindsey to carry the load. Lindsey is a shifty back who fits the Lebby system perfectly—get him in space and let him work.
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What Most People Get Wrong About These Rosters
The biggest misconception is that "talent in" equals "wins out." You see a 4-star transfer like Johntay Cook (who just signed with Ole Miss from Syracuse) and assume he’s a Day 1 lock for 1,000 yards.
But chemistry matters. These aren't Madden rosters. You’re taking kids from five different programs, with five different coaching styles, and trying to make them a cohesive unit in six months.
At Mississippi State, the "Jack" linebacker position is a total question mark. They lost Joseph Head to Memphis and are leaning heavily on Amaree Williams, a Florida State transfer, to provide the pass rush. If he doesn't click with Coleman Hutzler’s 3-4 scheme, that defense is going to be on the field for 80 snaps a game again.
The Specialist Secret
Nobody talks about kickers until they miss a 35-yarder in the Egg Bowl.
Ole Miss hit the jackpot with Lucas Carneiro deciding to return for 2026. Golding called him the best kicker in the country, and he might be right. Having a guaranteed three points when a drive stalls at the 20-yard line is a luxury most teams don't have.
State, meanwhile, is looking at a battle. With Marlon Hauck transferring to Tulsa, Kyle Ferrie is the guy, but they’ve brought in a few walk-ons to push him. In close SEC games, that depth chart spot is arguably more important than a third-string wideout.
Looking Ahead: The Actionable Path for Fans
If you're trying to keep up with the Mississippi football depth chart for either school, stop looking at the official athletic sites. They won't update those until August.
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Instead, watch the "Retention" news. For Ole Miss, getting Suntarine Perkins to stay is bigger than any portal addition. He’s a game-changer who can drop into coverage or wreck a backfield. For State, keeping Isaac Smith at safety was a massive win for the locker room.
Next Steps for Roster Tracking:
- Monitor the "Super Senior" Waivers: Keep an eye on the NCAA rulings for players like Trinidad Chambliss. This decides if a team needs to hunt for another QB in the spring window.
- Watch the Post-Spring Portal: There is a second wave of transfers in April. Players who lose their "starting" spot on the depth chart in spring ball will leave. That’s when the real frantic movement happens.
- Follow the Trenches: Don't get blinded by the WR and QB signings. If Mississippi State doesn't land a starting-caliber left tackle by March, their offensive scheme won't matter.
The rosters in Mississippi are more fluid than they’ve ever been. It's a professional model in everything but name. Whether you’re shouting "Hotty Toddy" or ringing a cowbell, the team you see on the field in September will look nothing like the team that finished the 2025 season—and that’s exactly how these coaches planned it.