Who is Shekai Mills-Knight, Ole Miss football RB vs Auburn, Kewan Lacy replacement?

OXFORD — Ole Miss football running back Shekai Mills-Knight has had a breakout half for the Rebels.

No. 12 Ole Miss (5-2, 3-2 SEC) is facing Auburn (4-3, 2-3) on Oct. 31 (SEC Network). Ole Miss leads 14-9 at the half.

Mills-Knight is a 6-foot-1, 220-pound sophomore. He has 12 carries for 55 yards in the first half against the Tigers. He also rushed for a touchdown from the Auburn 1-yard line with 2:26 remaining in the first half.

Because star running back Kewan Lacy is out with a shoulder injury, Mills-Knight has had more time to shine. Here's what to know.

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Mills-Knight has played sparingly behind Lacy on the depth chart since 2025.

He appeared in three games in 2025 and had a total of eight carries for 25 yards.

He entered the Auburn game with four rush attempts in 2026. All of them came in the game at Vanderbilt on Oct. 10. He rushed for 42 yards and a touchdown in that game. The touchdown came on a 35-yard run.

He played high school football in the United States at the Baylor School in Tennessee. It's a powerhouse high school program in Chattanooga that also produced starting Ole Miss center Brycen Sanders.

Mills-Knight was a four-star recruit in the 2025 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He was ranked as the No. 6 running back in the class and the No. 2 player in Tennessee.

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_