OXFORD ― There might not be a more athletically gifted player on the Ole Miss football roster than Suntarine Perkins.

But it hasn't always been clear this offseason where Perkins would play. Recruited as a middle linebacker, Perkins spent most of his time in an edge-rushing role during his true freshman 2023 season.

The 2024 season has something similar in store. Perkins said he'll line up primarily at outside linebacker for the Rebels.

"I had a talk with (defensive coordinator) coach Pete (Golding) where he moved me to outside linebacker and I started liking it," Perkins said. "Last year, I was knowing the plays, and I definitely feel like this year everything's just slowing down and I feel more comfortable."

Perkins has gained some weight in preparation for the role, weighing in at 210 pounds to start preseason practice – up five pounds from 2023.

The former five-star prospect has already demonstrated special capabilities that the Rebels will be hoping to see more consistently.

Ole Miss deployed him as a quarterback spy against Alabama's elusive Jalen Milroe last season, and Perkins sacked Milroe twice in a solid overall performance by the Rebels' defense.

On the edge, he'll hope to put the closing speed he illustrated in that game to use in a position that Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin called a "really hard" one to play because of the versatility it requires.

"I would say speed coming off the ball," Perkins said when asked about the traits that make him suited to the position. "Getting after the quarterback, beating the tackle to the spot."

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That contest against the Crimson Tide marked the high point for Perkins in terms of both participation and production in 2023. Taking 61 snaps in that game, he never played more than 35 through the rest of the season. Perkins pressured the quarterback seven times after that to total 14 on the season, according to Pro Football Focus data.

He'll have to earn his way on the field in 2024. The presumptive favorite to start at outside linebacker is Florida transfer Princely Umanmielen, who turned in a second-team All-SEC showing last year. But Golding sometimes showed looks that included a second edge rusher last season, and rotated his front six aggressively.

If Perkins is indeed a depth piece for the Rebels in 2024, there will be few better rotation options in the country.

"I think that a lot of times these guys, between their first and second year – even in the NFL – is the big jump," Kiffin said. "That was a lot on him last year to go in and play and he flashed and made some really good plays in some games ... I think he's had a really good offseason. He's a really exciting player, as talented as we have. I think he'll put it together and have a great year."

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss football: Suntarine Perkins on where Lane Kiffin has him