🏈 College Football
Ole Miss Rebels 2025 Season Preview
Lane Kiffin’s Rebels are fast, explosive, and loaded, but if they don’t finish drives in the red zone, they’ll miss the Playoff again. With Austin Simmons stepping in at QB and a soft SEC draw, the door is wide open. But one slip — like last year — could shut it fast.
Reloaded. Dangerous. But Still Missing the Final Punch.
🧠 Key to the Season:
Finish Drives or Get Left Behind
Lane Kiffin’s offense is electric… until it’s not.
In 2024, Ole Miss:
- Went 44-of-47 in red zone scoring during wins
- Went just 5-of-14 in red zone scoring during losses
That’s the story. Against Kentucky, LSU, and Florida. Three losses by a combined nine points … they left points on the field. No matter how flashy the pace, you’ve got to finish inside the 20.
💪 Key Player:
Austin Simmons, QB (Sophomore)
No more transfer carousel. This is Lane’s homegrown guy.
Simmons replaces Jaxson Dart … and indirectly, Matt Corral, Jordan Ta’amu, and Shea Patterson. High bar, but the upside is real. If Simmons plays with poise, he’ll be the reason this team makes a serious run.
🔁 Top Transfer Impact:
Patrick Kutas, OG (Junior)
Pulled from Arkansas, Kutas is a perfect fit for this system. Tackle size, guard agility, and the ability to move in space. He’s the key to keeping Simmons clean and giving Logan Diggs room to operate.
📤 Biggest Transfer Loss:
Micah Pettus, OT (Senior) → Florida State
At 6’7″, 350 lbs, Pettus was a mountain on the edge. Losing him hurts, even if the line is still solid. You don’t replace that kind of mass and experience overnight.
📆 Key Game:
@ Georgia – October 18
This is the measuring stick.
Last year, Ole Miss stunned Georgia. Now they’ve got to go to Athens and try to do it again. Win it, and the Playoff buzz hits full volume. Lose, and the following week at Oklahoma becomes a must-win.
🔟 Top 10 Rebels to Know:
- Suntarine Perkins, LB – Future NFL star
- TJ Dottery, LB – Fast, tough, everywhere
- Austin Simmons, QB – The guy now
- De’Zhaun Stribling, WR – Big target, red zone weapon
- Princewill Umanmielen, EDGE – Speed off the edge
- Logan Diggs, RB – Notre Dame transfer with wiggle
- Jayden Williams, OT – Needs to lead this line
- Patrick Kutas, OG – Road-grader with athleticism
- Sage Ryan, S – Ballhawk
- Harrison Wallace, WR – YAC threat
📊 2024 Fast Facts:
- 1st Quarter Scoring: 147–37 — they start hot
- Sacks: 52 on defense (💥)
- Yards per play: 7.3 vs. 4.5 allowed — explosive edge
They dominated tempo, but couldn’t always close the door.
🧨 Unc’s Outlook
This isn’t Lane’s most stacked roster. But it might be his most balanced.
There’s no Alabama. No Texas. No Tennessee. No A&M. That’s a dream SEC draw.
The red zone collapses from 2024? Fixable. The talent? Still there. And if Simmons grows into the role, this team could win 10 games without blinking.
But there will be one stumble. Maybe at Kentucky. Maybe Florida again. And if that loss comes before or after Georgia and Oklahoma, the Playoff door could slam shut early.
🎯 The Call:
Win Total Projection: 8.5
Predicted Record: 9–3
High floor. High pace. One misfire away from something bigger.
🟢 Game Buckets:
Likely Wins:
- vs The Citadel
- vs Tulane
- vs Georgia State
- vs Washington State
Toss-Ups (50/50):
- at Kentucky
- vs LSU
- vs Florida
- vs South Carolina
- at Oklahoma
- vs Arkansas
- at Mississippi State
Likely Losses:
- at Georgia