ESPN on Tuesday forecasted second-year Ole Miss linebacker Suntarine Perkins as one of its ‘Ten Breakout Players’ for the 2024 season.
Perkins, a one-time consensus five-star recruit, was a bit up and down in his debut campaign. Still, he started two games and the Rebels finished with a program-record 11 wins.
Perkins mostly worked at ‘Jack,’ the hybrid linebacker/defensive end in second-year defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s 4-3 system. Fifth-year head coach Lane Kiffin, in the off-season, hired Bryan Brown away from Cincinnati to pair with Golding.
“With Lane Kiffin at the helm, there is always plenty of buzz surrounding his team’s offense,” read ESPN’s breakdown. Perkins was placed No. 4 on the list, which considered all players in college football. “But Perkins is a talent on the defense end (who’s) ready for his close-up.
“In his freshman campaign, Perkins started only two games, but finished with 38 total tackles (5.5 of those for loss) and 3.5 sacks. It was the ideal debut season for a player who will be crucial to the Rebels’ defense this season.”
Perkins played both defense and offense during spring practices.
Perkins and fellow sophomore Jamarious Brown were co-winners of the Jeff Hamm Memorial Award, an annual spring honor for most improved defensive player.
“Last year, everything was fast and I had to learn on the fly,” Perkins said in April. “I was asked to learn middle linebacker and the Jack position at first, but then coach Pete asked me if I would be OK playing Jack and I said, ‘Let’s go.’
“Things slowed down for me more and more each week. There’s a lot to learn — details in our playbook and a lot of keys to read. I study every day.”
RELATED: Suntarine Perkins is in early stages of becoming a star player for Ole Miss
But Perkins was also given some carries for a needy Ole Miss running backs room.
Lead rusher Ulysses Bentley, IV, missed the spring with turf toe. LSU transfer Logan Diggs is out indefinitely with an injury of his own.
New Mexico’s Jacory Merritt didn’t meet academic requirements, while Kedrick Reescano transferred out. Ole Miss brought in Henry Parrish (Miami of Florida), Rashad Amos (Miami of Ohio) and Domonique Thomas (Georgia State).
“They told me he ran for 3,000 yards in a season, I think, his junior or senior year,” Jared Ivey previously said of Perkins. Ivey is a third-year starter on the Ole Miss defensive line, former Georgia Tech transfer, and host of the ‘Ivey League.’
“I didn’t even know he was doing like that. Me and a couple buddies cut on his highlights the other day just ‘cause I’d heard and (was like), ‘This can’t be real.’ The kid touched the ball and was in the end zone every single play. It was crazy.”
Neither Bentley, IV, nor Ivey are under any delusions the move for Perkins will eventually become permanent.
“I didn’t even know he played running back,” Bentley, IV, said. “It’ll definitely be great to have him (to use) back there.”
“That’ll be nice as utility,” Ivey added.
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