By Harrison Plank

Louisville football will begin their 2026 campaign in the Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff game against the Ole Miss Rebels.

This is week one’s only ranked matchup, with Ole Miss ranked No. 9 and Louisville No. 24 in the AP poll. The Cards kick off their season with one of the toughest matchups on their schedule.

On the road again

After a controversial season, Ole Miss is back with a new coach and a standout backfield. The Rebels replaced their previous head coach, Lane Kiffin, midseason with Pete Golding, who took them deep into the playoffs.

They took care of Tulane in the first round, shocked everyone by beating Georgia in the second and eventually fell to Miami in the Semifinals. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy accounted for most of Ole Miss’ offensive success.

After taking over mid-season last year as starting quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss returns for his final year of eligibility. Chambliss showed off on some of the biggest stages, proving the doubters wrong and leading his team through an unexpectedly deep playoff run.

Watch out for his precision passing and ability to keep broken plays alive. His legs are what’s scary, and Louisville’s ability to contain option plays will be a high priority.

Lacy was a workhorse in 2025, recording 1,567 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns in what was his first year with the Rebels. His spectacular season earned him first team All-American honors and a Doakes finalist nomination.

Both he and Chambliss have shots at the Heisman Trophy going into the ’26 season. To win, the Cards will need to do a good job of containing them both.

Clev Lubin gets hang time after swatting a pass from Bowling Green quarterback Drew Pyne in Sept. 20, 2025 Louisville football game at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Vinny Porco / The Louisville Cardinal)

Louisville’s defensive stoutness starts on the line. Returning starter Clev Lubin was a wrecking ball last year, recording 8.5 sacks. He and AJ Green rushing from the other side should limit that explosive Ole Miss offense. Experienced linebackers, Antonio Watts, TJ Capers and Stanquan Clark will be much needed to stuff the running lanes and subdue Lacy.

Playing to win

If the Rebels’ offense seemed scary, their defense might be scarier. Ole Miss finished last season with the 15th-ranked defense in the nation. A new coach in Golding brings a new system, favoring disguised looks to keep opposing quarterbacks off kilter.

The key piece for the Rebels: standout playmakers. Linebacker Suntarine Perkins is a major asset to this type of defense; his versatility makes him a weapon no matter where he is on the field.

In his best season with the Rebels, Perkins recorded a career high 10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception just for good measure. He had a down year last season but looks to get back to his peak in his senior year.

To put it simply, he’s a really good football player. The Cards will have to play their best ball to take down such a formidable opponent.

Louisville will win this game by getting the ball into their playmakers’ hands.

Louisville’s offense traditionally always has a standout target. Last year, the Cardinals had Chris Bell to rely on. After Bell was drafted by the Miami Dolphins, the Cards acquired transfer receiver Tre Richardson. Richardson led Vanderbilt in receiving last year, having his best game against the University of Kentucky. There, he recorded six catches for 159 yards and three touchdowns. Expect him to fill the void left by Bell and feel right at home playing in front of a familiar Nashville crowd.

Louisville tight end Jaleel Skinner extends his hands to catch a pass in an Oct. 4, 2025 overtime thriller against Virginia at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Harrison Plank / The Louisville Cardinal)

Tight ends should be a larger focal point for the Cards’ offense with TE coach Paul Petrino returning to Louisville for the third time. The returning Jaleel Skinner, along with Tulsa transfer Brody Foley, should provide a safety net to a big play-seeking Louisville offense.

If all else fails, the Cards can rely on their sturdy backfield tandem of Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown.

Isaac Brown was a missle last year. He rushed for an astounding 8.8 yards per carry before missing the latter half of the season due to injury. In his absence, Keyjuan Brown stepped up, taking on the starter’s workload and ending his season with three straight games of 100 or more yards.

Bright lights, big city

Once again, the Cardinals’ biggest unknown is the quarterback position.

As tradition with Jeff Brohm, the Cards have a new transfer quarterback for the fourth year in a row. Lincoln Kienholz comes from Ohio State, where he lost the starting job last year to Heisman-finalist Julian Sayin in a reportedly close battle. Despite limited playing time last year, expectations are high for the transfer.

If the Cards can contain explosive plays while keeping their new quarterback in rhythm, they might have a shot at pulling this one out. But it’s going to be close. No matter what, Louisville should be able to hold their own against a quality opponent like Ole Miss.

Brohm has a history of stepping up when the lights are brightest; does he have another one in him?

The Louisville Cardinals’ 2026 season gets underway this Sunday, Sep. 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Feature Photo by Harrison Plank / The Louisville Cardinal