Early access to EA College Football 26 hits Monday — here’s how Ole Miss stacks up

Early access for the EA College Football 26 releases on Monday. The worldwide launch of the game is July 10. 

Ole Miss in 2025-26 is led by third-year linebacker/EDGE Suntarine Perkins. Perkins, with a 93 overall rating, is ranked 16th among all players nationally. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith (98) and Caleb Downs (96) are first and second, respectively.

The three highest-ranked Rebels after Perkins are all transfers. Running back Damien Taylor came over from Troy after the spring and is an 89, as is tight end Luke Hasz. 

Hasz is one of three transfers Ole Miss brought in from SEC rival Arkansas. Sixth-year head coach Lane Kiffin is in the game with a ‘Program Builder’ archetype.

“I’m not sure they’re falling off,” On3 national analyst Andy Staples said of Ole Miss last month. “If we look at their transfer portal class, Ole Miss got a lot of the dudes that a lot of people wanted in the portal. 

“Luke Hasz, the tight end from Arkansas, was one we thought would be a difference-maker. They got De’Zhaun Stribling, who was Oklahoma State’s best receiver last year [and] Kewan Lacy, the running back from Missouri. They got Princely’s brother, Princewill (Umanmielen), who came from Nebraska.

“We’ve assumed Ole Miss drops off here. I don’t know if we should assume that.”

Taylor has the fourth-highest returning grade of all SEC running backs, according to Pro Football Focus. 

He rushed for 1,010 yards on 173 carries and scored seven touchdowns last season. Taylor averaged 84.2 yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry.

Hasz is one of PFF’s 10 tight ends to watch for the 2026 NFL Draft. Stribling is an 88 and ranked Top 5 among returning SEC wide receivers by PFF. Ole Miss signed On3’s No. 3 overall portal class.

Other notable rankings include defensive tackle Zxavian Harris (88), wide receiver Cayden Lee (87), Washington State transfer safety Kapena Gushiken (87), tight end Dae’Quan Wright (86), Penn State transfer wide receiver Harrison Wallace (84), defensive tackle Jamarious Brown (84), Arkansas transfer defensive back Jaylon Braxton (84), running back Logan Diggs (84) and transfer safeties Sage Ryan (LSU, 84) and Wydett Williams, Jr. (ULM, 84).

First-year starting quarterback Austin Simmons is an 83. Ole Miss last season won 10 games for the third time in four years. Lee didn’t drop a single pass in over 70 attempts. He’s played in 23 career games as a Rebel with 62 catches for 988 yards and four touchdowns. 

Simmons received playing time for the first time in his career a year ago.

He completed 19 of 32 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns in nine games, while also rushing five times for 14 yards. Simmons is taking over for record-setting three-year starter Jaxson Dart.

“Austin Simmons is a super exciting first-year starting quarterback that I think maybe gets a little bit under-talked about,” On3 national analyst JD PicKell said on his ‘Hard Count’ podcast. “Hand up; that’s on me as well. Austin Simmons put on a Mona Lisa of a drive against Georgia when Jaxson Dart went down in the first quarter in that game a year ago. People forget now, too, Georgia was up in that game when Austin Simmons came into the football game. Down 7-0 and just won the drive itself. Was awesome. Led a phenomenal scoring drive to tie it up.

“But my expectations for him quite frankly are more of what you saw in that drive against Georgia. Why? Because that proved to me against 5-star competition on the defensive side of the football for Georgia Austin Simmons can hang. He can do it. He’s got the physical tools [and] the poise. All those things.”

Take a look at Ole Miss’ stadium entrance prior to the game’s release on Monday in the video below (51:53 mark).