Take Five Breakdown: Top 25 Matchup in the Swamp

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• Florida Football 3-2-1: Will the defense improve going forward
• Recruit Reaction: Florida is going to surprise a lot of people this year
• Getting to Know: Davin Davidson

The No. 21 Florida Gators (3-0) are back in the Swamp to host No. 4 Ole Miss. The Gators are in the AP Poll for the first time this season, after winning their first SEC game on the road against Auburn. To learn more about who the Gators face in their first SEC home outing, Inside the Gators spoke with Tyler Komis, Ole Miss Insider.

Five Ole Miss Rebels To Know

Trinidad Chambliss, Quarterback, Fifth-Year

• Chambliss was granted an injunction allowing him to return to college football for another year; a huge win for Ole Miss, as he is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Right now, DraftKings has him listed as their Heisman favorite (+300), and he is No. 5 on ESPN’s 100 list. In Chambliss’ first three starts this season, he has 924 passing yards and seven touchdowns, ranking ninth nationally and first in the SEC. He is a name you absolutely have to know for this game and beyond.

Kewan Lacy, Running Back, Junior

• As I mentioned earlier, Lacy is currently reported as “questionable” on Ole Miss’ injury chart. He is No. 6 on ESPN’s Top 100 list and No. 12 on On3’s Top 100 list. So far this season, he has 191 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Last year, he totaled 1,567 rushing yards and 24 scores. Do I think he is as good as Jadan Baugh? No. Is he still an elite running back who could pose a threat on Saturday if he plays? Absolutely.

Deuce Alexander, Wide Receiver, Senior

• Alexander is the Rebels’ number one receiver. He has 295 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the season. Alexander is also on the 2026 Preseason All-SEC Third Team, 2026 Preseason All-SEC Fourth Team, 2026 Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, and 2026 Senior Bowl Top 300. Last season, he played in 14 games and caught two touchdowns on only 88 yards. He might not have been much of a threat the last time Florida saw him, but Alexander has stepped up this offseason and is definitely one to watch out for.

Caleb Odom, Tight End, Junior

• Caleb Odom is maybe a lesser-known player on the squad, but he should not be. Odom is at the helm of the Rebels’ tight end group. He is super dynamic and can line up anywhere on the line of scrimmage. Odom has 154 receiving yards, one touchdown, and a long catch of 35 yards. As Ole Miss’s secondary seems to get stronger each game, he might step up and have a solid game on Saturday.

Traylon Ray, Wide Receiver, Senior

• Ray really came out of nowhere. He has 171 receiving yards and a touchdown this season, but last year, he only played three snaps on offense. The rest, he took on defense with a total of 14 snaps for two tackles. Again, not a super-flashy name, but given how Ray has looked this season, he is one to know.

Five Ways the Gators Can Find Success

Run the Baugh!

• Ole Miss’s run defense has consistently struggled so far this season, but Florida’s run attack is elite with Jadan Baugh at the helm. The Rebels’ interior defense has allowed 562 rushing yards, ranking last (16th) in the SEC for rushing defense. On the other hand, Florida is fourth in the SEC for rushing offense, with a total of 787 yards on the year. If the Gators can capitalize on their greatest strength, they’ll expose Ole Miss’s biggest weakness and could find a win on Saturday.

Throw the First Punch

• This week, Jon Sumrall talked a lot about his “work the cut” philosophy, which came from UFC Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje, who spoke to Florida during training camp. Now, how does this apply to Saturday’s game? Well, Ole Miss’s head coach, Pete Golding, has said last weekend’s game against LSU took a lot out of them: energy-wise, emotionally, physically, and mentally. If Florida can throw the first punch, they will automatically have an advantage that allows them to “work the cut” consistently throughout the game. And if they can tire Ole Miss out as LSU did last weekend, the Gators will put themselves in an even better situation to win this ballgame.

Contain Chambliss

• Ole Miss’ quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss, is one of the best quarterbacks in college football; some may argue, THE best. I will get into more of his stats later, but there is something specific I want to point out first. According to PFF, in the three games he has played in this season, his completion rate is 73% when he has less than 2.5 seconds to throw, with an average depth of target of 6.4 yards. Oddly enough, his completion rate falls to 57% when he has more than 2.5 seconds to throw, but his average depth of target increases to 11.8 yards. Chambliss’ passing may become less consistent the longer the play lasts, but he becomes significantly more explosive. This could be a huge concern for Florida, as its secondary is not the strongest right now. So, the Gators need to take away Chambliss’ early-read and put pressure on him, but still contain him. Easy enough, right?

Shaky Secondary

• Ole Miss’s secondary hasn’t been super consistent this season, with lots of busted coverage and misalignments, leading to wide-open receivers. In their first two games against Louisville and Charlotte, Ole Miss allowed a combined 629 passing yards. Louisville had a 57% completion rate and averaged 9.1 yards per attempt. The Niners had a 79% completion rate and averaged 8.6 yards per attempt. While the Rebels did produce one interception, they also gave up five total passing touchdowns between both games. Against LSU, the Rebels were a little stronger. The Tigers had a 69% completion rate on 363 yards, scored two passing touchdowns, and were intercepted once. If Florida can just get the ball down to their offensive weapons downfield, the best receiver core in the country can get the job done from there.

Limit the Run-Game

• Ole Miss might rank 14th in the SEC for rushing yards per game (114), but they have an elite running back in Kewan Lacy. Right now, he is “questionable” after suffering a shoulder injury during the LSU game, but if he plays Saturday, he is a huge offensive weapon for the Rebels. The red and blue have some other strong pieces in that room: Makhi Frazier and Joshua Dye. Frazier transferred to Ole Miss this offseason from Michigan State, and Dye from Southern Utah. Even though the running game might look less threatening statistically than their receivers, the Rebels have some rushers who can change games when they play well.

Five Fast Facts

• The all-time series between the Gators and Rebels is tied at 13-13-1.
• Ole Miss has not won in the Swamp since 2008. It was that game that Tim Tebow gave his famous “Promise” speech after Florida’s loss.
• Sharif Denson (S), Enoch Wangoy (OL), and Michai Boireau (DT) all transferred from Florida to Ole Miss this 2026 off-season.
• Ole Miss has a 60% chance of reaching the CFP and winning, and only a 24% chance of reaching it with a loss.
• Both Pete Golding and Jon Sumrall are in their first season as head coaches at their respective programs.

Prediction

• Ross: 29-27 Florida
• Komis: 31-28 Ole Miss

Score Predictions

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