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Ole Miss Defender Earns Massive Preseason Honor

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi Dombro | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 6:34 PM ET

The Ole Miss football team is going to look a bit different this season after losing nearly 20 players to the NFL and several others to the transfer portal.

All-SEC players like quarterback Jaxson Dart, cornerback Trey Amos and defensive tackle Walter Nolen will be difficult for the Rebels to replace, but head coach Lane Kiffin brought in another highly touted recruiting class this offseason.

Linebacker Suntarine Perkins is one of just two starting defenders from last year's team that will be in the fold once again this season.

After a 10.5-sack, 14-tackle-for-loss campaign in 2024, expectations are high for the third-year player.

Perkins also recorded 60 total tackles, recovered two fumbles and intercepted one pass during his true sophomore season at Ole Miss last year. The former five-star recruit could even be a first-round pick in 2026.

On Monday, the Ole Miss football program announced on their social media pages that Perkins had earned a handful of prestigious preseason honors.

College football expert Phil Steele placed Perkins on both his preseason All-SEC and All-American teams. Steele had him as a Second-Team All-SEC player and a Fourth-Team All-American.

Phil Steele Preseason All-SEC + All-American Honors #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/cf3M5XEd0p
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) June 23, 2025

Last season, Steele placed Perkins on his All-American honorable mention team, and Perkins earned Third-Team All-SEC honors from Steele, the SEC coaches and College Football Network.

Several other Rebels made these respective lists, as kicker Lucas Carneiro was projected to be First-Team All-SEC and a Third-Team All-American.

Wide receiver Cayden Lee and tight end Dae'Quan Wright were also predicted to land on the Third-Team All-SEC and linebacker TJ Dottery was slotted in with the Fourth-Team.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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