Ole Miss kicks off #ScholarshipAlert season for 2026

In an age of $50 million rosters, what does it mean to be put on scholarship? And in an age of 105 scholarships, do college football teams even need walk-ons anymore? To answer in reverse order: yes they do, and it still means a whole heckuva lot.

That's evident from the #ScholarshipAlert released by Ole Miss on Saturday morning. There's not a lot of fan fare to this one, and that's okay. The cinema comes from the face of offensive lineman Joe Koury.

We don't actually see much of Mr. Koury's face, at least not after he learns the player Rebels head coach Pete Golding is showering with praise is himself. Koury at first covers his brow with his left hand, and then buries his head in the shoulder of Golding, then a teammate. 

Koury's reaction is everything, as it always is in these videos. Getting school paid for is great, but the rush of emotion does not come from the absence of student loans. It's the recognition of a job well done. It's the feeling of hard work paying off, of a dream coming true. It's the realization that the unseen grunt work, often done in the shadows so others can shine brighter in the spotlight, was recognized and appreciated. Walk-ons sign up to sacrifice their time, their efforts and their bodies not for their own glory and certainly not to make money; they do it so they can benefit others while being a part of something greater than themselves.

And even in 2026, they still exist.