Lead Story: Eleven Rebels Headline Athlon's Preseason Teams
The Ole Miss Rebels dominated Athlon Sports' newly released preseason All-America and All-SEC teams, placing 11 players across the two lists heading into a new era in Oxford. Running back Kewan Lacy paced the group as a First Team All-American and First Team All-SEC selection, the clearest sign yet that Ole Miss expects to run its offense through the backfield.
The honors ran deep on both sides of the ball. Lucas Carneiro landed on the Second Team All-America and All-SEC lists, while Will Echoles, Suntarine Perkins and Patrick Kutas all earned All-America nods (Third, Third and Fourth Team, respectively) plus Second Team All-SEC recognition. Trinidad Chambliss and Keaton Thomas rounded out the Second Team All-SEC group, with Deuce Alexander, Antonio Kite, Kam Franklin and Luke Ferrelli each collecting Third Team All-SEC honors.
Notably, two of the honorees — Keaton Thomas and Luke Ferrelli — have yet to take a snap in the SEC or for Ole Miss, a reflection of the roster's incoming firepower. Per Athlon Sports, Chambliss stands out as the list's biggest snub; a Second Team All-SEC nod may prove conservative if he plays to his ceiling. Eleven names on a single preseason ballot is a statement, and it frames the Rebels as one of the conference's most watched teams entering the fall.
Quick Hits
Tennessee stacks the NBA Summer League: Eleven former Volunteers who finished their college careers in Knoxville will suit up in the 2026 NBA Summer League, a striking measure of the pipeline the program has built at the next level (Source: School Sites).
NIL clearinghouse rejects $90M in deals: The clearinghouse tasked with vetting name, image and likeness agreements has turned back roughly $90 million worth of submitted deals, per ESPN — a figure that underscores how aggressively the new review process is reshaping the market SEC athletes operate in.
South Carolina's roster takes shape for the draft: D1Baseball evaluated how Kevin Schnall's South Carolina roster is rounding into form ahead of this weekend's draft, a key checkpoint as summer reshuffling determines which Gamecocks return to Columbia.
Kentucky's MVP debate opens: With the 2026-27 roster nearly set, the conversation in Lexington centers on returning big man Malachi Moreno and Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic, one of the sport's most feared shooters. Projected starting guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins loom as breakout candidates (Source: RSS Aggregator).
Perkins turns pro: National champion middle blocker Morgan Perkins will continue her career with League One Volleyball this coming season, per School Sites — the latest SEC product to graduate to the pro ranks.
Portal Watch
No transfer portal activity was reported across the SEC over the last 12 hours. With summer rosters largely locked and attention shifting to fall preparation, movement has slowed to a standstill for now. Expect the board to stay quiet until the next window opens.
Recruiting Buzz
No new commitments came across the wire tonight. The recruiting board stayed still through the evening, a typical mid-summer lull as programs finalize official visit calendars and zero in on their next round of targets. We'll flag every SEC pledge the moment it lands.
Games to Watch
No games are scheduled today. It's the heart of the offseason across SEC athletics, with baseball attention pivoting to the draft, basketball rosters finalizing, and football programs turning toward preseason evaluations. Circle the calendar: the accolades rolling in now — from Athlon's preseason teams to the summer showcases — are the appetizer before the games that matter resume this fall.
