Ole Miss' coaches were on the road making in-home visits and scouring the transfer portal Sunday as they tried to flesh out the rest of the Rebels' 2022 signing class.
However, while the current class gets most of the media and fan attention, Ole Miss' staff is also working diligently to get a fast start on its critical 2023 signing class.
They got off to a superb start in that regard Sunday, landing a commitment from Raleigh, Miss., four-star outside linebacker Suntarine Perkins.
Perkins, a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder who plays running back and strong safety at the high school level, chose Ole Miss over offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Indiana, LSU, Miami, Mississippi State, Oregon and Virginia Tech, among others.
"I have finally made my decision," Perkins said via Twitter Sunday. "First off I wanna thank God for giving me the ability to play the game I love. Second I wanna thank my parents and my family for raising me to be the young man I am today. Also, I wanna thank my coaches and players for the support and love."
"What makes Perkins so special is that he's truly an athlete who can play all over the field," Rivals.com national recruiting director Adam Gorney said. "His future position is probably outside linebacker because of his length and ability to go sideline to sideline, but sometimes he's lined up at safety, sometimes nickel. He plays receiver on offense and he has an impact all over the field. Ole Miss was the favorite from the beginning, and while many other power programs tried to get involved in his recruitment, the Rebels did a great job and landed a big commitment in the 2023 class."
Perkins had picked up strong interest from Georgia recently but Ole Miss was able to close the deal. It's a commitment, Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman said, that might be indicative of things to come for the Rebels.
"He's a versatile athlete that certainly boasts a ton of potential as a defensive playmaker in the SEC," Spiegelman said. "The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder plays on both sides of the ball for Raleigh, showcasing speed, toughness and athleticism to make plays in the box and from sidelines to sidelines. He’s also a capable pass defender that’s prone to forcing turnovers with instincts and a nice touch of physicality. Georgia and Alabama both coveted Perkins, but Ole Miss has remained persistent with the elite 2023 linebacker, enough to draw this early commitment. That’s a huge win for (Ole Miss coach Lane) Kiffin and a hint at what’s ahead for Ole Miss."
Perkins even kicked this season for Raleigh, which fell in the state semifinals Friday night to Jefferson County. His game-winning extra point in overtime was the difference a week earlier in the state quarterfinals.
"He's going to do whatever he can, if it's kicking, if it's punting, if it's running the ball, playing certain positions on defense," Raleigh coach Ryan Higdon told SportsZone 12/WJTV. "If he knows it's to help his team, he's going to do it."
