Ole Miss received a pleasant surprise during their victory against Oklahoma that could complete the recipe for an SEC Championship
An Ole Miss defender could be breaking out at the perfect time.
The Ole Miss Rebels have been a constantly improving program under head coach Lane Kiffin over the years, but beating the best teams in the SEC consistently has been something that has alluded them. They accomplished a great step on Saturday, defeating the Oklahoma Sooners by a 34 to 26 margin of victory. That pushed Kiffin’s squad to 7-1 on the season, and they continue to solidify their standings inside the Top-10 teams nationally.
Since quarterback Trinidad Chambliss took over for the injured Austin Simmons several weeks ago, this Rebel offense has looked like a completely different group. The former Ferris State signal caller feels like the perfect fit for the Kiffin offense, now accounting for over 2,200 total yards and 14 touchdowns. With the reputation that Kiffin has created as an offensive mind, this feels like a group that will continue to get better throughout the rest of the season.
The defense, however, is a unit that has been searching for answers so far in 2025. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding fielded an elite group last season, a defense led by the likes of Walter Nolen, Trey Amos, Princely Umanmielen, Chris Paul Jr., and Jared Ivey. The depth of that group was something special.
After losing that much talent in one offseason, it’s understandable for the defense to take a step back. Through eight games of the season, that side of the football has struggled mightily. They are averaging to let up 23 points per game as a unit, and that number ranks the defense 53rd nationally. The run defense has struggled especially, as has the unit’s ability to get after the quarterback.
The Ole Miss defensive line had a strong argument as the best in the entire country, and they managed to record a staggering 52 sacks, which was the top number in all of college football. The 2025 version has not been nearly as productive in that department, having accounted for a mere 10 sacks heading into the game against Oklahoma. Golding’s defensive line needed to figure out a way to more consistently affect the quarterback.
An Ole Miss breakout defender
That defensive line, led by former Nebraska transfer Princewill Umanmielen, was able to make consistent pressure against Sooners star quarterback John Mateer. While the performance wasn’t perfect, there was progress with their ability to create some havoc behind the line of scrimmage. The defense ended the day with three total sacks on Mateer, which is impressive after only recording 10 in the previous seven games.
Umanmielen is a name that Ole Miss fans are very familiar with after his older brother was a star on the 2024 team. The younger Umanmielen was a terror against the Sooners, collecting six total tackles, two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. The 6-5, 245-pound pass rusher entered the contest with just 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks through the first seven games. It appears he may have just had his breakout performance, finally.
If this Ole Miss squad, which is currently ranked as the No. 7 team in the country, is going to need to get after the quarterback like we saw on Saturday. Umanmielen is going to be the key to accomplishing that goal, possessing the high-end traits to be a steadying force in obvious passing situations. That unit desperately needs the breakout against Oklahoma to become a more consistent element of the defense.
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