Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy Out for Season With Shoulder Injury

Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy will miss the rest of the season with a left shoulder injury, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

Lacy, a junior who entered the season as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, has already sat out the Rebels' past two games after dislocating the shoulder in a 34-27 loss at Texas on Oct. 24, according to ESPN. No. 19 Ole Miss had listed him as unavailable for Saturday's game at Oklahoma on the SEC's initial availability report before the season-ending diagnosis was confirmed, ESPN reported.

How did the injury happen?

Lacy dislocated his left shoulder during the Oct. 24 loss at Texas, per ESPN's sourcing. He ran for 388 yards with five touchdowns on 78 carries across six games this season before the injury, numbers ESPN attributed to sources familiar with his production. He has not played since the Texas game.

What happens to Lacy's college eligibility?

Lacy has one season of college eligibility remaining, according to ESPN. Sources told the outlet he has three paths once the season ends: stay at Ole Miss for a final season, transfer to another FBS program to rebuild his draft stock, or enter the 2027 NFL draft. No decision has been reported.

How does this affect Ole Miss's backfield for the rest of the season?

ESPN's report does not detail who will carry the workload in Lacy's absence for the Rebels' remaining games, including Saturday's matchup at Oklahoma. The outlet notes only that Ole Miss had already ruled him out for that contest before confirming the season-ending nature of the injury.

Why does this matter for the 2027 NFL draft?

Lacy's name has already surfaced in early draft coverage. ESPN's draft desk includes him among names tracked in its 2027 class analysis, alongside pieces ranking the top 50 prospects and updated big boards from the network's draft analysts, work the network has published separately from the injury report. Whether Lacy declares, transfers, or returns to Oxford will determine how those rankings evolve heading into the offseason.

What is a dislocated shoulder, and why does it end a season?

A dislocated shoulder occurs when the upper arm bone is forced out of the shoulder socket, often tearing surrounding ligaments and tissue. For a running back who absorbs repeated contact, the injury typically requires extended rest or surgical repair before a safe return to full-contact football, which is why programs commonly shut down a player for the remainder of a season rather than risk re-injury.

Glossary

• FBS: Football Bowl Subdivision, the top tier of NCAA college football, encompassing programs like Ole Miss that are draft-relevant to NFL scouts.
• Availability report: A document the SEC and other conferences issue ahead of games listing player injury status, used by ESPN as part of its sourcing on Lacy's absence.
• Draft stock: Shorthand for how NFL scouts and analysts, including ESPN's Jordan Reid and Mel Kiper Jr., currently project a player's value in an upcoming draft class.

ESPN's original report did not include comment from Lacy, his representatives, or Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin.