Three potential Ole Miss Rebels breakout players for the 2024 college football season (2024)

Ole Miss isn't "supposed to be" this good, but here they are. Lane Kiffin has the Rebels fresh off an 11-2 season with a top ten roster in the entire country. They're primed to make the 12-Team Playoff if everything goes according to plan. But in order to make a potential push to win it all they're going to need a few breakout players to shine this fall. So who will those key stars-in-the-making be for Ole Miss this season?

There are several potential breakout players on the Ole Miss to watch for this fall, but let's talk through three that could completely change the course of the season if they step their game up to the peak of their potential in 2024.

Suntarine Perkins, Linebacker

There might not be a more exciting true sophom*ore defender in all of college football than Suntarine Perkins. Last season the five star freshman flashed all kinds of potential racking up five sacks on just over 130 pass rush snaps. Although he barely weighed 200 pounds last season Ole Miss used him as an edge defender and pass rush specialist quite often, despite coming in as a more traditional off-ball linebacker recruit.

Trey Amos, Cornerback

In just two short years Trey Amos rose from part-time defensive back at Troy to absolutely shutting down Georgia wide receivers in the SEC Championship Game for Alabama. He's been rising fast and playing well at the highest levels of the game in small samples. Just look at this nasty rep against Dillon Bell in the SEC Championship last fall (in video below)!

Deion Smith, Wide Receiver

This one might be more of a long shot to be a "breakout" candidate given how good the other Ole Miss wide receivers should be, but Deion Smith is a special talent. As a recruit he was a Top 100 overall player in the country who immediately flashed for LSU as a true freshman, snagging two touchdowns in his second career game ever.

Unfortunately Smith's grades didn't stay where they needed to be and he fell into obscurity trying to find the right home at the JUCO level. That route has meant the end for many talented players, but not Deion Smith. Last season, in just eight games, Smith racked up nearly 1100 yards and 12 touchdowns! There was only one game where he didn't put up at least 100 receiving yards or score multiple touchdowns.

Tre Harris, Antwane "Juice" Wells Jr., and Jordan Watkins likely open the year as the team's three starters, but Deion Smith will be pushing each and every one of them for snaps. If he does unseat Wells (perhaps due to injury given Wells' track record) or Watkins, Smith could be a matchup nightmare at 6'3", 200 pounds with track speed.

Be looking for more Ole Miss coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) on X (Twitter) for all the latest football news!

And if you want to watch Deion Smith dominate the JUCO level at wide receiver last fall check out the video of his mid-season highlights below!

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.