Now that the regular season has concluded, it’s time for players to be recognized for their work on the gridiron ahead of bowl games and the College Football Playoff kicking off. For Ole Miss and Mississippi State, both teams had members honored by coaches in the Southeastern Conference.
Ole Miss had seven players included on the All-SEC coaches team, while Mississippi State had two. The Rebels had two first-team selections, two on the second team, and three on the third team. Both of the Bulldogs’ honorees landed on the third team. Here’s a rundown of which players received postseason recognition.
Ole Miss
Running back Kewan Lacy (first team)
Lacy, one of the nation’s top rushers, has logged 1,279 yards and 20 touchdowns on 258 carries. Those 20 rushing scores shattered the previous single-season record at Ole Miss of 16 set by Quinshon Judkins in 2022, and it gave Lacy the all-purpose touchdown record of 17 that was set four times before. He is also the team’s first-ever Doak Walker Award finalist.
Placekicker Lucas Carneiro (first team)
Carneiro has been a kickoff master, owning 73 of Ole Miss’ SEC-leading 74 touchbacks. The Western Kentucky transfer ranks among the top kickers nationally, leading all SEC kickers and sitting tied for No. 4 nationally at 114 total points scored – fifth-most in Ole Miss single-season history and fourth-most among kickers. On the season, Carneiro is 22-of-25 on field goals with a long of 54 and a perfect 48-of-48 line on extra-point attempts.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (second team)
Since taking over for Austin Simmons in week three, Chambliss has elevated to one of the most feared quarterbacks in the nation. Chambliss has completed 218 of 333 passes for 3,016 yards, 18 touchdowns, and just 3 interceptions. He has been effective on the ground as well, rushing 118 times for 470 yards and six scores.
Tight end Dae’Quan Wright (second team)
Wright leads all tight ends nationally in yards per catch, averaging 16.30 yards. His 4 receiving touchdowns are the second-most by a Rebel receiver this season. Wright has 8 career touchdowns as a Rebel, which is tied for fifth-most among Ole Miss tight ends.
Left tackle Diego Pounds (third team)
Pounds anchors an offensive line that leads the SEC and is No. 3 in the FBS in average yards per game, gaining 498.1 yards each contest. The Rebel offensive line has allowed just 16 sacks this season, averaging 1.33 sacks per game.
Defensive tackle Will Echoles (third team)
Echoles has a career-high 4.5 sacks this season, good for second-most on the Ole Miss defense. The Houston native’s 8 tackles for loss are also the second-most on the team, and he has 51 total tackles this year.
Defensive end Princewill Umanmielen (third team)
Umanmielen is tied for No. 8 in the SEC and leads the Rebels in sacks with 6.5 on the season. He has 10 total tackles for loss and found his first career interception against Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. He became just the second Rebel this season to have a sack and an interception in the same game, joining defensive tackle Zxavian Harris.
Mississippi State
Wide receiver Brenen Thompson (third team)
Thompson concluded the regular season with 53 receptions, 948 yards, and 6 touchdowns. He averaged 17.89 yards per reception and 79 yards per game. That receiving-yard number is tied for the second-most in the SEC and No. 21 nationally, while his yards per catch average ranked fourth in the SEC and 19th nationally. He leads the SEC in receptions of 40+ yards (9) and is tied for the top spot in receptions of 50+ yards.
Defensive back Kelley Jones (third team)
Jones, who started just four games in the previous two seasons, broke out in 2025. He started all 12 games at corner this year, setting career marks in tackles (30), pass breakups (11), and interceptions (2). His 11 pass breakups are tied for the most in the SEC while tying for 14th nationally. Jones has allowed just 11 receptions on 38 targets this season. Among qualified corners who have played at least 50% of their team’s snaps, Jones’ 28.9% receptions against rate leads the nation.
Rebels and Bulldogs in the postseason
Ole Miss (11-1, 7-1 SEC) will continue the 2025-26 campaign in the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff. The No. 6 seed Rebels will host No. 11 seed Tulane at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 20. at 2:30 p.m. CT. The matchup will air on TNT and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations. If the Rebels win, they will advance to the quarterfinals and face Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
Mississippi State (5-7, 1-7 SEC) will appear in a bowl game for the first time in two years. The Bulldogs will take on Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, at 7 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPN and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.