By Elijah Klepczyk
Emmerich Newspapers
OXFORD – Ole Miss head football coach Pete Golding was optimistic after the first day of fall camp. “I think they have got a good idea conceptually of what we are asking them to do in all three phases,” Golding said.
“We are going to see what some of these guys are really, really about,” Golding said, noting that the toughness aspect of fall camp doesn't start until pads come on.
The Ole Miss football staff opened its doors to the media after the first day on Thursday. Golding, along with starting quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and starting running back Kewan Lacy, addressed reporters during a press conference held in the Roland and Sheryl Burns Team Meeting Room located in the Manning Center.
The administration selected 15 players to be available for one‑on‑one interviews, following the session. Earlier in the day, media members were invited to watch the final 15 minutes of the opening day of fall camp, where the special teams unit worked on punting and the rest of the roster went through conditioning drills.
Prior to fall camp, the Rebels spent their time sharpening fitness and explosiveness under the direction of new strength and conditioning coach Paul Constantine.
Golding said Constantine and his staff helped players add healthy weight during the offseason while also boosting top‑end speed through their training program. “He and his staff have done an unbelievable job,” Golding said.
With a sixth year of eligibility secured, Chambliss said this fall camp stands apart from last year’s, largely because he enters the season as the starting quarterback. He pointed to the added pressure of the role and the leadership responsibilities that come with it as the biggest changes.
Chambliss, when asked about how Golding is preparing the team for adversity this year noted that they have put a special emphasis on drilling game-like situations throughout practice. “They are good for us to see how we will respond when that same thing happens in a game,” he said.
Chambliss opens the season among the Heisman favorites, supported by a semifinal berth in last year’s College Football Playoff and a stat line that included 3,397 passing yards and a 22‑3 touchdown‑to‑interception ratio. When reporters asked him about “being the face of college football,” he answered, “Pressure is a privilege … It’s what I asked for.”
Lacy, a 2025 All‑SEC honoree on the back of 1,567 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns, also met with the media and spoke about the mindset he carries into fall camp. “You have got to make sure you are getting better every day,” he said of the goals he sets for himself.
“I just want to try to get better everyday,” Lacy said of how he can improve on his performance last year.
With fall camp underway for the Rebs, they will practice throughout each week until their date with Louisville on Sep. 6 in Nashville, for the Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff.
“We want to make Monday through Friday much harder than Saturday,” Golding said of getting his team prepared for the adversity to come this season.
