December 28, 2008; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister (26) carries the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Carolina defeated New Orleans 33-31. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-Imagn Images Crystal LoGiudice-Imagn Images

Ole Miss Football Icon Deuce McAllister Reveals Clear Statement on Future of Rebels

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Mar 27, 2026 1:50 PM ET

Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels are gearing up for a pivotal stretch this offseason with Spring Camp arriving in Oxford.

Ole Miss will be a redesigned program from top to bottom with a new-look coaching staff, support staff, and roster with the offseason providing a major opportunity to gain familiarity.

Former Ole Miss Rebels running back Deuce McAllister recently weighed in on the trajectory of the program under Golding and how is reconstructed coaching staff will play a critical role across the next few months.

McAllister, an Ole Miss icon, holds or ranks among Rebels leaders in carries (616), rushing yards (3,060), rushing touchdowns (36), total touchdowns (41), points (246) and 100-yard games (13).

After a historic stretch in Oxford, McAllister was then selected by the New Orleans Saints at No. 23 overall in the 2001 NFL Draft.

He later became the first Saints running back with 22 career 100-yard rushing games and three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

“I’ve been pleased and happy to see some of the guys he’s been able to bring on and some of the former players,” McAllister said on the Talk of Champions podcast.

“I think that helps him from a recruiting standpoint to be able to say, ‘This guy’s been here. This guy knows what it’s like to be a part of it. This guy wants to not only keep this program at the level that it is, but take it even higher.’ I think that means something.”

Ole Miss has a stacked assistant coaching pool with former head coaches looking to lead the way alongside Golding as he prepares for his inaugural season at the helm of the program.

“When you have a couple of former head coaches on your staff, I think that helps with everything he has to do,” McAllister said. “A lot of times when you look at guys who are first-time head coaches, it’s not necessarily the struggle of coaching the game. It’s dealing with the other stuff. It’s dealing with the admin stuff [and] the PR stuff.”

Now, as the offseason continues, all eyes are on the Ole Miss program with an opportunity to once again make a statement and reach the College Football Playoff with Trinidad Chambliss and Co. leading the way.

This article first appeared on Ole Miss Rebels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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