LSU football fell 32-24 to Ole Miss on Saturday. The contest marked the start of the Tigers' SEC slate and head coach Lane Kiffin's return to Oxford since leaving for Baton Rouge in 2025.
The Tigers' defense was tested early and struggled to contain quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. He led three touchdown drives in the first half, including one with under two minutes to play before halftime. LSU was stagnant on offense, which left the defense exhausted.
But LSU came out a different team after the break. The purple and gold outscored Ole Miss 14-0 in the third quarter and kicked a field goal to open the fourth and tie the game. Ole Miss then drove 75 yards in 13 plays, leaving LSU a few minutes to tie or take the lead. Quarterback Sam Leavitt was
intercepted on fourth-and-goal, dooming LSU.
The Week 3 contest also marked the return of several former Rebels who followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge. They, along with a few returners on both sides of the ball, shined for LSU in a top-10 showdown.
Here are LSU's top-five rated players per PFF from the loss to Ole Miss.
No. 1: Jhase Thomas, safety
Thomas ranked as LSU's top-rated player, earning an 80.1 grade from PFF. The redshirt freshman contributed vital reps off the bench, especially after DaShawn Spears went down in the first half, which left the STAR position empty and forced defensive coordinator Blake Baker to make changes on the fly.
Thomas made five tackles, four solo, in the eighth game of his collegiate career. He played primarily on special teams in 2025 but carved out a larger role against the Rebels in Week 3.
No. 2: Whit Weeks, linebacker
Weeks maintained a constant presence as a leader with his play against Ole Miss. He turned in a 75.2 grade. He tied for the team lead with eight tackles, including a tackle for loss, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry. Weeks has played like an All-SEC-caliber linebacker over the first three weeks of 2026.
No. 3: Deuce Geralds, defensive tackle
Saturday marked Geralds' first SEC game. After a string of impressive showings to start 2026, the true freshman made his presence felt against the Rebels. Geralds got a 74.5 PFF grade. He finished with a solo tackle and a quarterback hurry.
No. 4: Princewill Umanmielen, linebacker
In his return to his former team, Umanmielen finished with four tackles, including a sack of Chambliss. He got a 72.8 PFF grade. Umanmielen was one of the top-ranked defenders in the transfer portal, and he's lived up to the billing thus far.
No. 5: Winston Watkins, wide receiver
Watkins followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge after one season at Ole Miss. The redshirt freshman caught three passes for 54 yards and a touchdown against his former team. He hauled in a pass from Leavitt as he fell to the ground in the back of the end zone. The score cut the deficit to three in the third quarter.
PFF gave Watkins a 71.8 grade.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football's top five graded players vs. Ole Miss
