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Eight players recognized as Ole Miss star power shines in Athlon’s preseason honors

Ben Garrettby: Ben Garrett07/07/25SpiritBen
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Ole Miss EDGE Suntarine Perkins (Photo credit: USA Today Images)

Ole Miss football placed eight on preseason All-SEC and All-America teams from Athlon Sports. 

Third-year linebacker/EDGE Suntarine Perkins led the way on the All-SEC first team. He was second-team All-America. Perkins already picked up preseason honors from On3, Phil Steele and Walter Camp. 

Perkins currently carries a first-round grade for the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s also the highest-ranked player for the Rebels in EA College Football 26, which released on Monday.

“Though Perkins had shoulder surgery in January, he’ll be full-go by the fall,” On3’s Ari Wasserman wrote in naming Perkins a preseason All-American. “What does full-go look like for opposing offenses? Torture. Though he doesn’t have the size as a typical linebacker, Perkins flies all over the field. Last year he had 14 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. If he gets better next year — which he will — he’s going to be one of the biggest defensive stars in the sport.”

The Rebels in the off-season signed Western Kentucky placekicker Lucas Carneiro as the replacement for Caden Davis. Carneiro was the preseason CUSA Special Teams Player of the Year, and later a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award. Three times in 2024-25 Carneiro was named CUSA Special Teams Player of the Week.

RELATED: Carneiro, Perkins highlight strong showing for Ole Miss in preseason awards

Carneiro made 26 of 30 field goals in his two seasons with the Hilltoppers, including a long of 54.

All he lacks is a kickoff leg, per sources. He was 18 for 19 last year and 6 for 6 from 50-plus. He made all of his extra-point attempts and all nine of his attempts from 40-plus. Carneiro chose Ole Miss over Oklahoma and others.

He was second-team All-SEC, according to Athlon, while veteran wide receiver Cayden Lee and tight end Dae’Quan Wright were on the third team. Offensive lineman Patrick Kutas, defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, linebacker TJ Dottery and defensive back Jaylon Braxton were all on the fourth team.

“He definitely can kick off. We’ve been hitting a lot of kickoffs recently. He’s pretty solid at those, too,” Ole Miss veteran long snapper Carter Short told the Ole Miss Spirit of Carneiro. “But his field-goal accuracy is unbelievable. He’s one of the best kickers I’ve seen.”

Ole Miss opens the 2025-26 season against Georgia State August 30.

The Rebels last season won 10 games for the third time in four years. However, they fell short of expectations in missing the College Football Playoff.

“It’s the only thing I really want. That’s the top goal — winning a national championship and leading this team and paving this road to glory,” Ole Miss first-year starting quarterback Austin Simmons said. “All that great juice like storming the field at the end of the year in January, that’s the one thing I really want. That’s the one thing I think we can achieve as a team.”

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