Five Rebels named to Phil Steele’s preseason All-SEC team ahead of 2025

OXFORD, Miss. — As Ole Miss prepares to kick off their 2025 campaign, five Rebels were honored as members of Phil Steele’s preseason All-Southeastern Conference teams.

It’s a recognition that’s both a reward for last year’s grit and a challenge to rise even higher this fall.

Phil Steele, one of college football’s most respected analysts, released his annual preseason All-SEC teams this week, and five Rebels earned spots.

Rebels named include Lucas Carneiro (first team), linebacker Suntarine Perkins (second team), wide receiver Cayden Lee (third team), tight end Dae’Quan Wright (third team) and linebacker TJ Dottery (fourth team).

The honor, coming from Steele’s review of SEC talent, is a nod to both individual achievement and the roster Lane Kiffin has meticulously built for a season in which expectations are higher than ever.

Carneiro’s journey to Oxford is a story in itself.

Transferring in from Western Kentucky, the reigning Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year arrived with a reputation for consistency and power.

At WKU, Carneiro went a perfect 88-for-88 on PATs and nailed 27 of 31 field goal attempts over two seasons, including a long of 54 yards.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me,” Carneiro said when he joined the Rebels. “I came off a good season, but I gotta put that in the past and show them why I’m here. I think I did that this spring. Now it’s getting ready for the season and going out there and doing what I did this past season, but better.”

Carneiro’s calm, workmanlike approach has already made an impression.

“I definitely feel confident from 60 and in. I try to treat every kick the same,” he said, adding, “I’m going to learn, continue to grow, continue to work with my kicking coach and just continue to get stronger in the weight room to help me succeed on the field.”

For many, the heart of the Rebels’ defense is junior linebacker Suntarine Perkins, a second-team selection and preseason All-American.

Perkins broke out last season, tying for the team lead in tackles for loss (14.0) and sacks (10.5), numbers that placed him among the SEC’s most disruptive defenders.

At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, Perkins’s blend of speed and power makes him invaluable to Pete Golding’s defense.

“He’s the kind of guy who just finds the football,” Golding said. “You can put him anywhere and he’ll make a play.”

Perkins’s instincts and leadership figure to be a backbone for a defense looking to take the next step after finishing the 2024 season with a top-30 national ranking in sacks.

Offensively, Ole Miss is expected to feature a potent passing game, thanks in part to the steady hands of Cayden Lee and Dae’Quan Wright.

Lee, a junior wide receiver, is coming off a season where he tallied 57 receptions for 874 yards and two touchdowns, using his crisp route-running to find space even against the SEC’s tightest coverage.

Wright, a transfer from Virginia Tech, brings versatility to the tight end spot, racking up 27 catches for 394 yards and four touchdowns last year.

Both will be familiar targets for new starting quarterback Austin Simmons, who, despite his relative youth, has already shown a knack for spreading the ball and improvising outside the pocket.

The defense will also lean on junior linebacker TJ Dottery, a fourth-team selection who has become the primary communicator on the field.

Dottery, entering his second full season with the Rebels, has earned a reputation as a cerebral player, one who studies film religiously and anticipates opponents’ moves.

“Dottery’s got that rare ability to see the whole field,” Golding said. “He’s a coach on the grass.”

This preseason recognition is more than a headline. it’s a reflection of the deep investment Ole Miss has made in its roster over the past few years. The program reportedly spent more than $10 million building a roster good enough to compete for a spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff.

That investment has paid off not just in star power, but in depth, with the Rebels’ roster considered one of the most balanced in the SEC entering the fall.

Kiffin, never one to shy away from media attention, has made it clear that individual honors are welcome, but team success is paramount.

“Awards are nice, but we’re here to win games,” Kiffin said after hearing of Steele’s selections. “If these guys play up to their potential, the rest will take care of itself.”

With the Rebels set to open their season against Georgia State on August 30, the preseason accolades have fueled excitement and expectations among fans who are eager to see if this group can deliver on its promise.

Ole Miss’s path through the SEC West will not be without its challenges. The conference remains stacked, with Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Texas A&M all fielding rosters brimming with NFL-level talent.

The Rebels’ combination of proven veterans and hungry newcomers has analysts predicting that Kiffin’s squad could be a dark horse in the playoff race, a team capable of knocking off anyone, anywhere, on the right Saturday.

Perhaps the most intriguing storyline is the integration of transfers like Carneiro and Wright into a core group of returning starters.

The SEC, more than any other league, has embraced the transfer portal era, and Ole Miss has been among the most aggressive in using it to plug holes and upgrade talent.

“This is a program that’s built to win now,” said ESPN’s Paul Finebaum during a recent segment. “They’ve got playmakers at every level, and if the quarterback play is solid, they’re going to be a problem.”

For the players, the recognition from Phil Steele is a moment to savor, but the message from the coaching staff is clear that preseason accolades mean little if the team doesn’t perform when it matters.

“I told them this is what I love to do and this is what I’m here to do,” Carneiro said. “I’m going to learn, continue to grow, and keep getting stronger.”

For Ole Miss, the real test begins August 30, when the stadium lights flip on and the nation watches to see if the hype is real and if these five stars can shine brightest when it matters most.