News Article
Published
Oct 24, 2026 at 03:45 PM EDT
Ole Miss heads into Saturday night's road matchup against Texas at 5-1 on the season and 3-1 in SEC play. The Rebels have built plenty of momentum after winning their last two games, including a 52-17 victory at Vanderbilt and a dominant 31-3 win over No. 13 Missouri last weekend. They now have multiple signature wins and sit No. 7 in the latest AP Top 25 poll.
Still, with their blowout loss at Florida still hanging over them, Ole Miss needs a win over Texas to strengthen their College Football Playoff resume. The Rebels have a difficult remaining schedule, and beating the Longhorns at this stage of the season could prove valuable for playoff seeding.
Thankfully, the Rebels might be getting back one of their best players too. According to On3's Pete Nakos, starting center Brycen Sanders is expected to be available against Texas, despite being listed as questionable on the SEC's injury report. Sanders briefly left last week's win over Missouri with an injury but returned to action.
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Sanders is a senior offensive lineman who has been Ole Miss' starting center throughout the 2026 college football season. The 6-foot-5, 315-pounder started all 15 games last year, helping the Rebels set school records for total points and yards. He's continued to be a stabilizing force up front this season, and his experience will be valuable heading into the back half of the season.
Sanders suffered an injury during the first half of the Missouri game on Oct. 17, forcing starting right guard Patrick Kutas to slide over to center temporarily. Ole Miss continued to move the ball well, but having Sanders available against Texas would allow the offensive line to maintain its usual rotation. That continuity is important for quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who has been leading one of the SEC's top offenses.
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After Saturday, Ole Miss faced Auburn on Oct. 31, followed by Georgia one week later, then heads on the road to face Oklahoma before closing their regular season with home matchups against Wofford and Mississippi State. That's a winnable schedule, but a loss to the Longhorns would drop them to 5-2, potentially having massive implications on their CFP hopes.