Five Rebels Earn Preseason All-SEC Honors from Phil Steele

OXFORD, Miss. — With the 2025 season on the horizon, the accolades are already rolling in for a handful of key Rebels. Phil Steele, one of college football’s most respected analysts, released his preseason All-SEC teams this week—and five Ole Miss players earned a spot on the list.

Headlining the group is senior kicker Lucas Carneiro, a Western Kentucky transfer who was named First Team All-SEC and also received Third Team All-American honors. Carneiro arrives in Oxford with a strong resume, including being named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year in 2024. With a big leg and ice in his veins, he’s expected to provide the kind of reliability the Rebels had last season with Caden Davis.

Joining Carneiro in receiving national recognition is junior linebacker Suntarine Perkins, who landed on Steele’s Second Team All-SEC and was also tabbed a Second Team All-American. Perkins is coming off a breakout season and will once again be the centerpiece of Pete Golding’s defensive unit. Perkins’ versatility makes him one of the SEC’s most dynamic defenders.

Linebacker T.J. Dottery—a key communicator and physical presence in the middle of the defense—was named to the Fourth Team All-SEC. Now in his second full year in Oxford, his leadership and football IQ make him an essential piece of the Rebels’ front seven. Between him and Perkins, Ole Miss has the backbone of a defense that looks poised to make some noise.

On the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver Cayden Lee and tight end Dae’Quan Wright earned Third Team All-SEC recognition. Both are trusted weapons for quarterback Austin Simmons, and both are expected to play prominent roles in the 2025 offensive attack.

Lee, a rising junior, developed a strong connection with Simmons last season and has the route-running skills and speed to stretch defenses. Wright, a transfer from Virginia Tech, impressed in his first season as a Rebel and continues to shine in fall workouts as a versatile pass-catching tight end.

Together, Lee and Wright give Simmons two reliable, explosive targets—and with the sophomore signal-caller growing more confident by the day, the Ole Miss offense could be one of the most balanced in the SEC.

Season Opener Approaches

With preseason recognition building momentum, Ole Miss is set to open the 2025 campaign on Saturday, August 30, against Georgia State in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Head coach Lane Kiffin has retooled and reloaded his roster once again, and with All-SEC talent on both sides of the ball—and special teams—the Rebels are aiming to make serious noise in the conference this fall.

Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for full coverage as we count down to kickoff.