Kewan Lacy has not just put himself in the Ole Miss conversation. He has forced his way into one of the louder national conversations in college football. When Kirk Herbstreit names you among the top five offensive playmakers in the sport, that is not casual preseason fluff. It is a statement.
And in Lacy’s case, it is a statement with real weight. Last year’s move from Missouri to Ole Miss came with expectations, and he answered them with 1,567 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. That is not a nice little debut. That is the kind of production that makes people stop treating a player like a supporting act and start treating him like the engine.
A national nod before the season opener
On Friday night, Herbstreit released his annual Herbie Awards and placed Lacy among his top five offensive playmakers in college football before Ole Miss’ season opener. The list matters because it is built around impact, not reputation. Lacy was the lone running back included, which says plenty about how his game is being viewed going into the new season.
Herbstreit made the point plainly enough: what makes this offense go is that it is balanced. That is exactly why Lacy’s name belongs in the spotlight. Ole Miss can talk all it wants about tempo and variety, but balance is only dangerous when the backfield can punish teams for leaning the wrong way. Lacy did that last season, and Herbstreit clearly believes he can do it again.
Why Lacy matters so much for Ole Miss
There is also a broader layer here. Herbstreit said he is anxious to see how that offense looks without Charlie Weis Jr., while making it clear that Kewan Lacy will be a big part of that equation. That is the heart of the matter. Ole Miss is heading into the season with change around it, and when change arrives, proven playmakers become even more valuable.
That is why this recognition is more than a preseason pat on the back. It is a sign that Lacy is being viewed as a central piece of a system that needs him to stay productive. Ole Miss does not need him to be merely good. It needs him to be the kind of back who keeps the whole operation honest.
Herbstreit’s list is only a list, of course. It does not guarantee anything and it does not hand out yards in August. But it does underline a simple truth: Kewan Lacy is no longer being discussed as a player with upside. He is being discussed as one of the offensive playmakers who can shape the season. That is a very different level of attention, and Ole Miss should be pleased it has him.
