Suntarine Perkins is ‘going to be a baller,’ and he isn’t the only Ole Miss newcomer turning heads, either

Ole Miss football added some 20 transfers over two portal cycles this off-season.

Thirteen came on the defensive side. Seven were in the secondary, headlined by Zamari Walton (Georgia Tech) and John Saunders (Miami [Ohio]), who each enrolled in January and went through spring practices.

Walton was a four-year starter at Georgia Tech and has one year of eligibility remaining. He had 36 tackles and an interception last season. Saunders — like his fellow transfer defensive backs — has extensive starting experience, too. He moved from corner to safety in the spring and intercepted Oklahoma State transfer quarterback Spencer Sanders in the Grove Bowl.

Saunders is one of the newcomers “definitely” standing out to Ole Miss second-year safety Isheem Young this summer. Ole Miss — after a brief, week-ish-long break, has resumed its summer strength and conditioning program under S&C coach Nick Savage.

Another standout has been DaiJahn Anthony. Anthony, as a starter at Liberty last season, had 27 tackles, two interceptions and four pass breakups.He picked Ole Miss over 20-plus other offers.

“They’re the main two to me, but everybody’s really been doing their thing on the defensive side,” Young said. “We’re stacking our days (and) getting better day by day. Different day you’re going to see somebody different making a play.

“It’s a damn-near whole new defense. I think we’re going to be way better than last year. (Teja) Young (transfer safety from FAU), he knows the defense already. He’s been under (first-year safeties) coach (Wes) Neighbors already. So, he knows the defense pretty well.

“He’s been teaching me, and he came in after me. It seems like he’s going to play a good part in our defense.”

FAU’s Teja Young was one of seven defensive back transfers added by Ole Miss in the off-season ( Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Suffice to say competition has been fierce this summer.

It’s only going to turn up a notch once fall-camp practices roll around the first week of August.

Young isn’t guaranteed anything, even with his accomplished resume. Young appeared in or started all 13 games last season. Ole Miss finished with an 8-5 record and reached the postseason for the third straight year.

Young, last off-season, transferred in from Iowa State, where he was a freshman All-American. He had 66 tackles (30 solos), an interception, three pass breakups, a fumble recovery, 1.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.

“Everybody seems like they’re fitting in pretty well,” Young said. “We talk so much and help each other with the new defense. Everybody’s fitting in so well. I think the rotation’s going to be a good rotation. I don’t think there’s going to be any weaknesses in our DBs.”

Young is high on some of the freshmen as well.

Chief among them is five-star-plus 2023 signee Suntarine Perkins. Perkins was On3’s No. 2 ranked linebacker for his class. However, he could wear any number of hats for the Rebels next season.

First-year defensive coordinator Pete Golding — previously of Alabama — has even tried Perkins some at the MONEY position — a hybrid linebacker/safety spot in Golding’s 4-2-5 base defense.

Ole Miss football can expect ‘the best Isheem Young’ in 2023 by Talk of Champions

Young has gotten reps, there, too.

“He’s definitely going to be a baller,” Young said of Perkins. “I’m liking how the freshmen are looking. I think they’re definitely going to come in and play early and get some snaps. Ayden Williams, the receiver, he’s looking good. He’s looking pretty good on the offensive side.

“I think our freshmen are going to come in and ball. They’re fitting in pretty well. It’s like a brotherhood over here. We’re rolling them in and getting ‘em into the playbook just to be dogs.”

Young can certainly speak from experience when it comes to making an immediate impact right out of high school. He was the Big 12 Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year for Iowa State in 2020.

“Me, when I was a freshman, my confidence stayed high,” Young said. “What I always thought on the field was, ‘Nobody can mess with me.’ That’s got to be your mindset. Once you’ve got that mindset that you’re a dog and nobody on the field is better than you, that’s how it’s going to be. How it was for me was, whatever I put my mind to, I could do.

“And I was hitting like a vet as a freshman.”

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