Ole Miss Rebels LB Suntarine Perkins Earns 'Way-Too-Early All-American' Nod

The Ole Miss Rebels have a star forming at outside linebacker, and with the season still far away, he is already being prepped for a huge season.

Oct 26, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels linebacker Suntarine Perkins (4) reacts after a tackle during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels have recently produced some firepower on the defensive side of the ball. This trend looks like it will continue as upcoming junior Suntarine Perkins was listed as a "Way-Too-Early All-American" by Chris Low of ESPN on Monday.

Perkins is a Magnolia State native stemming from Raleigh, Mississippi, and is the former No. 1 recruit in the state from the class of 2023. Here's what Low had to say regarding the rising Rebel.

"Few defenders will be more valuable to their teams in 2025 than Perkins, who is an edge rusher/defensive end/outside linebacker all wrapped into one. A five-star recruit, Perkins keeps getting better as he enters his junior season. He's undersized (215 pounds), but a dynamo when it comes to making big plays." -- Chris Low, ESPN

Perkins shined this past season as a sophomore. Despite not being a full-time starting edge, he still tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (14) and sacks (10.5).

With the new role of being a full-fledged starter, Perkins could see those numbers inflate and find himself looking at what city he will live in after the draft next year.

One downside to Perkins heading into the season is the fact that he recently had shoulder surgery in the last month, but this should not sideline him for an extended amount of time, even if he misses spring ball. The expectation is that Perkins will not miss any game action and should be ready for fall camp when it rolls around later this year.

The season is still miles away, and Perkins still has recovery time ahead, but this upcoming season still has him as a major part of the Rebels defense, both on and off the field as he is now an upperclassman and could be viewed as a veteran leader.

Perkins and the Rebels have put together a very good recruiting and transfer class, filling in and improving holes for the upcoming campaign. For the in-state star out of Raleigh, he will now be a focal point of the Ole Miss defense, if he wasn't already after the 2024 season.

Joining Perkins on the defensive front will be some new faces who are expected to make an impact in 2025, specifically at the edge rusher position as Da'Shawn Womack (LSU) and Princewill Umanmielen (Nebraska) committed to Ole Miss out of the portal following the conclusion of the regular season.

The Rebels will open their 2025 campaign at home against Georgia State on Aug. 30.