The Ole Miss Rebels are still a top-10 team despite what the Florida game revealed . Heading into the bye week, Ole Miss will be looking to regroup and make some changes moving forward.
The offense has looked strong, but the Rebels are very reliant on explosive plays . On the other side of the ball, the defense's inconsistency has been obvious and has cost them the Florida game.
Another loss makes Ole Miss' margin for error officially zero. Fortunately, there are some players who could help them right the ship if they are given the chance.
Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Caleb Cunningham against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Cunningham's only issue seems to be how deep this receiver room is. The freshman has only gotten 13 targets through four games, with the majority of those coming against Charlotte in Week 2.
Ideally, Golding will give the young freshman more opportunities and experience on the field. Plus, leaving him on the field isn't a minus. The former five-star has been reliable, catching nine of his 13 targets.
Another former five-star talent, Cook has shown flashes of being a big-play threat but hasn't consistently been involved in the offense. With Ole Miss relying so much on explosive plays, he deserves more opportunities.
He has elite speed and quickness, which serious potential out of the slot and over the middle of the field.
Giving Chambliss another weapon to work with can't hurt. The only issue seems to be how much talent is in the receiver room; sometimes coaches can't just split time.
Barney has the speed and coverage ability to help an Ole Miss secondary that struggled all season long. He can match up and give the Rebels another athletic option on the back end.
Barney is young, but his talent is undeniable.
And after what happened to the Ole Miss secondary against Florida, it could use all the help it can get.
Ole Miss is in real need of some help behind Kewan Lacy. Against Florida, the lack of explosion in the run game was evident. Makhi Frazier and JT Lindsey combined for 19 Carries for 73 yards vs. Florida. At 3.8 yards per carry, that's fine, but the Rebels' offense is predicated on an elite rushing attack.
They need to find more from the room outside of Lacy, and Joshua Dye could help solve that issue.
With Southern Utah, Dye ran for over 1800 yards, averaged 6.2 yards per carry with 28 touchdowns. He has explosive play written all over him. In his only attemp this year, against the Gators, he rushed for 11 yards.
Perhaps against Vanderbilt, he could see some more opportunity.
Barnes was the cornerstone of the Rebels 2026 class. He is a top-100 talent out of one of the best high school programs in the country in Duncanville (TX).
He is also part of a pass-rushing unit that has struggled to get after the quarterback. Through four games, the Rebels have only six sacks, which ranks 15th out of 16 SEC teams and 94th in the country. Their 23 tackles for loss also rank ninth in the conference
Barnes has only played 23 snaps this season, 20 of which came against Charlotte. The talent is there. Perhaps Barnes could be useful - at least in certain packages or situations - for a pass-rushing unit that has struggled.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/olemiss as 5 Ole Miss Players Who Should Earn More Opportunities After the Bye .
