Just hours after star receiver Cayden Lee entered the transfer portal, his former Ole Miss teammate has already dropped not-so-subtle hints about a reunion, a move that could spell disaster for Pete Golding’s already depleted receiver room.

Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons shared a snap of Lee and him celebrating in Ole Miss gear. A plausible hint at Simmons possibly reuniting in Colombia. Don’t you think? Simmons had spent the last three years at Ole Miss, backing up Jaxon Dart. In the 2025 season, he was the starting quarterback but got sidelined owing to an ankle injury.

For head coach Pete Golding, losing Lee would be a major blow. The Rebels’ WR unit is already stretched thin. While Winston Watkins Jr. has transferred to play under Lane Kiffin at LSU, De’Zhaun Stribling and Trey Wallace are expected to declare for the draft. Combined, all the above wideouts formed the top six of the WR room. Cayden Lee is like the last star standing. This past season recorded 44 receptions, converting them into three touchdowns, and he appeared in all 15 games as a starter.

Naturally, Pete Golding is on high alert and does not want to lose Cayden Lee to rivals. And much to his delight, there is a way. Lee can withdraw his name from the portal. But there’s a caveat.

According to Matt Zenitz’s report, Lee plans to return to Oxford only if Chambliss returns for the 2026 season.

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“The expectation is he’s going to withdraw from the portal and stay at Ole Miss if Trinidad Chambliss gets his waiver to be able to play next year, ” he shared on X.

However, Ole Miss is still waiting on a verdict in quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ legal battle with the NCAA. His eligibility case is proving to be a tough call. He is seeking a preliminary hardship waiver for the 2022 season at Ferris State. But there’s a long way to go. After the NCAA denied his waiver, he sued the watchdog. While Ole Miss waits for that verdict, rival programs may have secured Lee’s commitment by then.

The Tigers have already lost six of their wide receivers to the portal and the NFL. Cayden Lee and plug that gap.

Can Missouri land Cayden Lee?

Tigers desperately need to rebuild their wide receiver room after wrapping up with an 8-5 record. The Tigers lost Joshua Manning, Marquis Johnson, Daniel Blood, and James Madison II to the transfer portal. On the other hand, Kevin Coleman Jr. and Xavier Loyd exhausted their eligibility. That’s six receivers gone from a room that already struggled at times during the 2025 season.

Given Austin Simmons’ strong chemistry with Lee and a proven track record, they can be an explosive duo for the Tigers. Both of them arrived at Oxford together, as part of the 2023 Class. For three years, they shared the locker room and rose together as impact players. When Simmons won the starting gig after Jaxon Dart left for the NFL, Cayden Lee was all smiles, describing it as a surreal moment.

“We came in together, stayed through everything, and he’s done a good job just battling everything,” Lee said. “To finally see him just get his opportunity, it’s really awesome. I know he’s going to go out there and just do what we know he can do.”

Besides, Missouri and Ole Miss, Georgia, and Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers are also reportedly interested in receiving his pledge.