Looking at the Ole Miss linebackers room heading into the 2023 season
Aug. 2—OXFORD — Another year, another leading tackler is gone for Ole Miss. But as has been the case in the previous years, the transfer portal seems to have replenished the room.
In 2020, Jacquez Jones led the Rebels in tackles. After transferring to Kentucky, it was Maryland transfer Chance Campbell who took charge up the middle in Ole Miss' 3-2-6 scheme.
Campbell was taken in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, and Central Michigan transfer Troy Brown picked up the mantle. Brown led the Rebels with 93 tackles in 2022 but has since graduated.
It once again looks like transfers will play a major role at linebacker for Ole Miss as it transitions to Pete Golding's 3-4 base scheme.
In addition to losing Brown, Austin Keys transferred to Auburn. Keys made 51 tackles in his Ole Miss career.
Ole Miss added a pair of seniors through the transfer portal in the offseason in Louisville's Monty Montgomery and UCF's Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste.
Montgomery was dynamic in his Cardinals career, racking up 160 tackles and 15 sacks over four seasons. He made 70 tackles in 2022 — including 11 for loss — and also had six sacks.
Jean-Baptiste had 152 tackles in his UCF career, highlighted by a career-high 52 in 2022. He also had 11.5 tackles for loss combined over the last two seasons.
The Rebels also picked up a commitment from former Clemson linebacker T.J. Dudley last week. The former four-star recruit is a redshirt freshman who made two tackles for the Tigers last season. He was dismissed from Clemson for "violation of team rules" according to The Greenville News.
The Rebels also return senior Ashanti Cistrunk, who finished fifth on the team last season with 72 tackles, and senior Khari Coleman.
Coleman started his Rebels career with a bang, notching five tackles for loss and two sacks in the season opener against Troy. The TCU transfer missed time with an injury and finished the season with 42 tackles, 10 coming for loss. Coleman has 27.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks in his college career.
Freshman Suntarine Perkins also figures to play a major part for the Rebels defense in 2023. Perkins was a five-star recruit and starred as both a linebacker and running back at Raleigh High School in Raleigh, Mississippi. Perkins ran for 2,078 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2022 and made 92 tackles with four interceptions. Ole Miss also brings in three-star linebacker Skielar Mann.
