Pete Golding Adds Another Blue-Chip Defender with Commitment from 4-star Jeremiah Culpepper

OXFORD, Miss. — Deep in the heart of SEC country, Georgia is used to being king. It’s a state that has produced the likes of Calvin Johnson and Cam Newton — and linebacker Jeremiah Culpepper aims to be up next, but for Ole Miss, not the Bulldogs.

Hailing from LaGrange, GA, Culpepper comes in at 6-foot-2, weighing 205 pounds. The composite four-star, according to 247 Sports, is ranked as the 17th-best linebacker in the class and the 22nd overall player in the state of Georgia. He chose the Rebels over the likes of Alabama, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, Michigan, Mississippi State, Florida State, Kentucky, LSU, Virginia Tech, Texas and many other Power Four programs who had offered him.

Culpepper becomes the third commitment of a massive recruiting weekend for Pete Golding and his staff, joining fellow four-stars Miguel Whitley of New Orleans St. Augustine (LA) and defensive lineman Marvin Nguetsop out of St. Thomas More (CT).

The Fit is Intriguing

When you turn on the tape, there is a comparison that is quickly shown. Ole Miss’ own Suntarine Perkins is easily the best comparison for a player like Culpepper. Like Perkins, even though he is listed as a linebacker, Culpepper rarely drops into coverage. He excels at defending the run, with a quick first step allowing him to immediately sneak into the backfield and force a loss for the opposing offense.

Simply put, Culpepper wreaks havoc in the run game.

He is not only a great run defender, but his quickness also allows him to dominate offensive tackles in the pass game. This past season at Troup County, Culpepper totaled 59 tackles and a baffling 12 sacks. He was outright dominant, something that is apparent without turning on his film and just reading his stats.

The intriguing part about Culpepper is not his astonishing stat-line–it’s how eerily similar his build and play style are to Perkins coming out of high school. Perkins was the exact same size as Culpepper is right now, and he still has another year to grow. If that comparison pays off, Culpepper could very well be the gem of the class.

A Look to the Future

Head Coach Pete Golding has a lot of key pieces on his defense leaving after this season. Perkins is one such piece. Culpepper could very well slot right into that role from day one, as he certainly already has the talent to do so. Not only does the addition of Culpepper spell new beginnings, but so does Nguetsop and Ben’Jarvius Shumaker.

Golding and the rest of the defensive staff are reestablishing the trenches in a big way, as each and every piece that has been added, Culpepper most of all, has the potential to make an impact from day one.

A Strong Start, but not the end

Culpepper’s pledge marks the 13th commitment in the 2027 class and further strengthens what has been an impressive first full recruiting cycle for Golding as head coach. The Rebels currently hold the No. 15 recruiting class nationally and the No. 6 class in the SEC per Rivals.

More importantly, the foundation for a strong defensive future continues to take shape. One commitment won’t define a class. Multiple high-impact players, however, just might do the trick. Ole Miss isn’t simply recruiting talent, they are bringing in players who could be culture changers. The Rebels are building a defensive future, and Jeremiah Culpepper might turn out to be one of the most important pieces. For all the latest in recruiting, follow us right here at The Rebel Walk.