Mississippi managed to survive without star running back Kewan Lacy against Lane Kiffin and LSU last week, as Heisman Trophy contender Trinidad Chambliss put the Rebels on his shoulders and delivered a statement performance in a marquee SEC win.
Will the Rebels have their star running back in the lineup on the road in Week 4 against Florida?
Initial signs point to a game-time decision
, per Ole Miss coach Pete Golding."Wasn't nearly as bad as we thought it was," Golding said of Lacy's MRI results.
Lacy, one of the top running backs in the country, sustained a shoulder injury in the third quarter of Ole Miss' 32-24 win over LSU. Before exiting the game, Lacy had nine carries for 43
rushing yards and a touchdown, which came on a 5-yard carry in the first quarter.
Lacy had surgery on his left shoulder in the offseason. He entered the 2026 season fully recovered from that, but he dealt with a thigh bruise in Week 1 vs Louisville that caused him to miss part of the second half. He played in Ole Miss' Week 2 win over Charlotte.
Ole Miss and Florida kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 26 in Gainesville, where the Rebels remain an underdog according to Vegas despite their No. 6 ranking in the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 poll.
Here's the latest on Lacy's injury:
Is Kewan Lacy playing vs Florida? Latest for Ole Miss RB
As noted by the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network, LSU transfer JT Lindsey and Michigan State transfer Makhi Frazier are the Rebels' No. 2 and No. 3 options in the running back room, respectively, behind Lacy. Lindsey has 12 carries for the Rebels, which is the most of any running back behind Lacy. Frazier has nine carries.
The play where Kewan Lacy got injured.
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 20, 2026
He is questionable to return vs. LSU. pic.twitter.com/4CuZr6ZPeV
"He banged up his shoulder," Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said after Ole Miss' win over LSU. "They went in and X-rayed it. It was negative on the X-ray. They padded him up. He was going to try to fight through it, but at that point JT (Lindsey) was playing really well. … I know we'll get some more information tomorrow."
Speaking with reporters in Oxford on Monday, Golding said that Lacy's latest MRI came back as a "positive" and that he'd be a game-time decision.
"Wasn't nearly as bad as we thought it was," Golding said.
Kewan Lacy stats
Here's a look at Lacy's stats this season for Ole Miss:
- vs. Louisville: 17 carries for 61 rushing yards and one touchdown, four receptions for 19 receiving yards
- vs. Charlotte: 13 carries for 87 rushing yards and two touchdowns
- vs. LSU: Nine carries for 43 rushing yards and one touchdown
Clarion Ledger Ole Miss reporter Sam Hutchens contributed to this story.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Kewan Lacy play vs Florida? Latest on Ole Miss RB injury
