Ayden Williams, Suntarine Perkins Named to Freshman of the Year Award Watch List

The two Rebels have already turned heads during fall camp.

OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss Rebels freshmen Ayden Williams (WR) and Suntarine Perkins (LB) were named to the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Watch List on Wednesday, announced by the Maxwell Football Club.

This award is presented to the top freshman football player in the country, and it has been awarded since 2018 to honor the former Alabama Crimson Tide and Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander.

@suntarine

Perkins and Williams are both Mississippi natives and were ranked the No. 1 and 2 prospects respectively in the state in the last recruiting cycle. Perkins hails from Raleigh (Miss.) High School where he earned the title of 2022 MHSAA 3A Mr. Football and led his school to its first state championship in program history as a senior. He was also named the MVP of the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game last year after accumulating 10 tackles and three TFLs.

Williams spent his prep days at Ridgeland (Miss.) High School and was a three-time all-state honoree during his career. The 2022 season saw him tally 1,265 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior.

Perkins and Williams will see their first action in an Ole Miss uniform on Saturday when the Rebels play host to the Mercer Bears at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. CT, and the game will be available to stream on SEC Network+ and ESPN+.