Ole Miss LB signee Suntarine Perkins discusses why he stuck with Rebels over Alabama

Alabama had been Suntarine Perkins‘ dream school when he was growing up. He always envisioned himself playing for the Crimson Tide.

That’s what made it so hard for the Raleigh (Miss.) four-star linebacker when he committed to Ole Miss. Despite some heavy pushing from head coach Nick Saban and his staff, Perkins signed with the Rebels over the Crimson Tide.

“It was really close in the end between Alabama and Ole Miss,” Perkins, the No. 58 overall player and No. 4 linebacker in the 2023 On3 Consensus, said at hotel check-in for the Under Armour All-America Game. “I talked with (head) coach (Lane) Kiffin and his coaching staff and we talked every day. That’s what ultimately led me to signing there.”

Perkins said that Alabama was the only other visit that really stood out to him. Getting to meet Saban and the Crimson Tide’s coaching staff was a memorable experience as they went all-out to land a commitment from him.

In the end for Perkins, however, he is staying home to play in front of his home state.

“It was tough, but I started to really think about it,” Perkins said. “I want to be the person to put on for my city and my state. We want to beat the best and it’s always great competition playing against Alabama.”

Meeting Patrick Willis and continuing Ole Miss’ linebacker lineage

One of the biggest talking points Perkins hears when he’s gone to Ole Miss is about Patrick Willis and possibly becoming the Rebels’ next great linebacker like Willis was.

Willis was a standout at Ole Miss from 2004-2006 and would later be drafted by the San Francisco 49ers with the 11th pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

Perkins said that he was able to meet Willis at the Alabama game last season.

“It was awesome,” Perkins said. “To be able to get a resource like that from someone who’s been there and done all of that before is big.”