OXFORD |Kickoff is inching closer for Ole Miss , as the ninth-ranked Rebels sit just nine days away from squaring off against No. 24 Louisville.
Ole Miss dove into some game preparations this week, but still worked out kinks within its roster and operation on both sides of the ball.
"It was good to get through camp so to say," head coach Pete Golding said Monday. "It's nice to dive in to where 'Alright, here's an opponent outside of our offense' to get into a routine for me of what's that going to look like. This is kind of a hybrid week for us. It's not going to be all on game week mode. We're going to have a mock game this weekend and simulate some things, but we still have a lot of guys we got to get in the can-do category. We're still going to do some good on good and some competition things to create opportunity for some of those guys."
Throughout August, Ole Miss On SI has tracked players who have strengthened their cases for larger roles and the final practice week ahead of game week provided a few more names trending in the right direction.
Here are three Rebels whose stock is on the rise heading into the upcoming season.
Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver Caleb Cunningham (3) against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Despite being a consensus five-star high school acquisition, it was always going to be difficult for Caleb Cunningham to carve out a significant role in Ole Miss' offense as a true freshman during the 2025 season. The position group had immediate impact veterans De'Zhaun Stribling, Harrison Wallace, Cayden Lee and Deuce Alexander to lean on. He capped his campaign as a true freshman with one reception for 19 yards in three appearances.
With three of the four receivers gone, some room has freed up for Cunningham this time around as a sophomore. More importantly, now, Cunningham is finally healthy after recovering from a nagging hamstring injury earlier this offseason and has been living up to the hype he generated when Ole Miss secured his signature.
"I think once you get past the Horatio's of the world, the Cook's of the world and Deuce's of the world - the other one to me is Caleb Cunningham's finally back healthy," Golding said earlier this week. "I think he's a different presence than we've had out there. I think he is who we expected him to be here over a year ago. Been really nice to get him back out and healthy. He's just a different body type."
Speaking of players looking like what they were advertised to be, senior tight end Luke Hasz fits that mold. Multiple sources have told Ole Miss On SI that Hasz has been a standout in one-on-one coverage, losing minimal route running matchups, and has emerged as one of Trinidad Chambliss' top targets this summer.
The 6-foot-2, 240-pound tight end is playing this season with 'even more' of a chip on his shoulder than in previous seasons because his injury derailed his first year in Oxford.
"Just using my size to my advantage. Whether that be with blocking with good technique and just having a high motor. Some of that is going to be doing a good job when the ball isn't in my hands. When the time comes to make a play I'm going to do everything I can to make it," Hasz told Ole Miss On SI this month.
Although he flies under the national radar, from everything we've heard this summer, we're buying stock on a bounce back year for Hasz now. We wrote more about the impact Hasz should have this upcoming season here .
Among the biggest acquisitions for Ole Miss this offseason was signing senior Florida State transfer safety Edwin Joseph.
Joseph was incredibly efficient during the 2025 season, nabbing three interceptions, five pass deflections, 37 tackles and one forced fumble in 10 games for the Seminoles. After losing Wydett Williams, Ole Miss is going to need a similar playmaker in its defensive backfield.
Golding and defensive coordinator Bryan Brown have a similar vision for the ballhawk for the Rebels this upcoming season.
The 6-foot, 190-pound defensive back has impressed this summer and has played as advertised during practices in August. Though Joseph missed the entire spring due to an injury the team was already aware of, Joseph has made a big enough impact since his return that one inside source told Ole Miss On SI he could be the Rebels' 'best overall' defender this upcoming season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/olemiss as Stock Risers For Ole Miss Football Going into Game Week .
