Harold Perkins wrecked Ole Miss offense, became LSU star. Rebels want Suntarine Perkins to follow his path
OXFORD — When the Ole Miss football staff mapped out its plan to start five-star freshman linebacker Suntarine Perkins against Alabama, Rebels coach Lane Kiffin hoped for an impact like one he’d seen in Baton Rouge less than a year earlier.
LSU linebacker Harold Perkins − no relation − did not play on the first two drives of Ole Miss’ 45-20 defeat at Tiger Stadium last October. Both of those ended in touchdowns. Coach Brian Kelly unleashed his freshman thereafter and Ole Miss never found the end zone again.
“They played him against us, and all of a sudden the guy looked like the best player in the conference,” Kiffin said. “We were hoping (Suntarine Perkins) would give us that spark.”
Despite the loss, Suntarine Perkins showcased the tenacity, instincts and athleticism that earned 6-foot-3, 205 pounder a place at the top of defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s linebacker rankings in the Class of 2023.
He sacked quarterback Jalen Milroe twice, often deployed as a quarterback spy to counter Milroe’s athleticism. Harold Perkins carried out a similar duty last season against Jaxson Dart, the Rebels’ dual-threat quarterback.
"Coming out of high school he was the best linebacker in the country, so he is very talented,” Dart said after that game. “They kind of set him up as a spy and a rusher and he made some good plays.”
Harold Perkins, who is 6-1, 220 pounds, went on to secure second-team All-SEC honors last season, with 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 72 total tackles. Ole Miss would love to see Suntarine Perkins add another equivalence between himself and his namesake when the Rebels (3-1, 0-1 SEC) welcome the Tigers (3-1, 2-0) to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday (5 p.m., ESPN).
Suntarine Perkins, Harold Perkins take similar paths
Sam Spiegelman watched Suntarine Perkins’ freshman film at Raleigh and instantly concluded that he belonged among his class’ elite.
“Boy, was I right about that one,” Spiegelman said.
Now a national recruiting analyst for On3 with purview over Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, Spiegelman also watched Harold Perkins − a native of Cypress, Texas − transform from a basketball player who arrived late to the game into a five-star linebacker recruit.
Both were “freakish” athletes at the high school level, Spiegelman said, adding that Suntarine Perkins’ performance in last year’s state championship game ranked among the best he’d ever seen. But they share traits beyond their physical prowess, too.
“Both had just outstanding, vastly diverse and multiple skillsets,” Spiegelman said.
Still in his career’s early stages, Harold Perkins has thrived in situations where he can “see ball, get ball,” in the words of Kelly. The LSU coach flirted with moving his star sophomore inside to a more traditional linebacker spot earlier this season, but has since seemed to reverse course − much to Kiffin’s chagrin.
Suntarine Perkins has followed a similar early path. After repping plenty at inside linebacker in preseason practices, 96 of Perkins’ 105 defensive snaps have come at outside linebacker, according to Pro Football Focus, which lists him as an edge rusher. He’s spent just 14 of those snaps in pass coverage.
He pressured Milroe on four of his 10 pass-rush snaps last week. Tasked with keeping the Alabama quarterback contained, Perkins helped the Rebels limit Milroe to 28 rushing yards on 16 attempts − a season-low in yardage and efficiency.
“I think it’s pretty obvious that, eventually, this kid is going to be not only a difference maker week-in and week-out for the Rebels, but at some point he’s going to be the central force of Coach Golding’s defense,” Spiegelman said.
GETTING AFTER IT: Lane Kiffin's top Ole Miss signee Suntarine Perkins brings unique nickname, hometown's adoring support
What Pete Golding said about Suntarine Perkins
The biggest hurdle talented freshmen like Perkins must clear to succeed early at the college level is often mental, not physical. On Perkins’ tape, Spiegelman saw indicators of football intelligence that would help Perkins clear that obstacle.
Speaking with the media before the season, Golding did, too.
“He loves football,” Golding said in August. “He’s a smart kid. He’s very engaged and takes good notes. I think he has an extremely high ceiling that we’re excited about.”
His outburst against the Crimson Tide let Ole Miss fans, for the first time, visualize what that ceiling might look like.
Behind the scenes, his teammates say he’s been working to reach it.
“He’s getting in the film room,” Rebels linebacker Ashanti Cistrunk said. “He’s learning. He’s steadily taking steps, week-by-week, day-by-day. I’m proud of him, honestly. It’s amazing seeing him do all that.
“He’s just going out there and being himself and just playing. It’s natural for him.”
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98. Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss football vs LSU: Comparing Suntarine Perkins, Harold Perkins
