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The University of Mississippi Athletics
OTA 2 Practice Report: The Standard has been Set
4/3/2026 | Football
Presented by Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss defensive coordinator Bryan Brown, alongside linebacker Suntarine Perkins and defensive tackle Will Echoles, addressed the media Friday as the Rebels continue spring practice ahead of the 2026 season.
The tone from all three was consistent. The standard has been set inside the Manning Center, and the new faces are buying in fast.
A Winning Mindset
Brown opened by making clear what has changed most about Ole Miss football. It is not just the facilities or the resources. It is the expectation.
"It's not the 'We hope we can win' mindset,'" Brown said. "It's the 'We're going to win every single football game.' That's the mindset now."
Brown was equally direct about what success looks like this spring. Before scheme or matchups, his unit has to master the fundamentals, and he is grading accordingly.
"The number one thing we look at and work on during the spring? Their alignment. Can they get aligned correctly?" Brown said. "That's the very first thing they have to get done. And if they can do that right and then understand their assignment and know what their keys are, that's what we're trying to get out of spring ball."
Leading the Way
Brown singled out two veterans he has challenged to become more vocal, Echoles and defensive back Antonio Kite, noting that doing things right on the field is no longer enough by itself.
"They do everything right on the football field," Brown said. "They go hard each and every day at practice, but now we just need them to step up and be a little bit more vocal."
Echoles acknowledged the challenge does not come naturally, but that it is starting to show up when it matters.
"I'm kind of quiet, honestly, Echoles said. "I try to lead by example like Coach Brown said, just by doing the right things. But the vocal part of the leadership has been coming out lately."
When pressed on what that looks like on the field, Echoles kept it straightforward.
"If we're practicing sloppy or doing something sloppy, just speaking up and telling the guys, 'This ain't how we do things around here.' Just stuff like that."
New Faces
Brown raved about transfer linebacker Keaton Thomas, who has wasted no time making a statement in Oxford, including an early morning workout that caught the staff's attention.
"He may be one of the best ones that's been here in a long, long time," Brown said. "He brings that tenacity that you want from a linebacker standpoint, downhill runner, really good communicator, great in the passing game, and he only knows one speed. I don't give a damn if we walk through or not, he's going full speed."
Brown also issued a name to watch from the edge rusher class, and he did not mince words.
"Landon Barnes is going to be a household name. You can write that down," Brown said. "He's is a heck of a football player that's going to play for us this year for sure."
Echoles offered his own early read on the defense as a whole, and the optimism was genuine.
"The back end, they make plays," Echoles said. "They make unbelievable plays daily. Cedrick Beavers just made a play in practice today that was crazy. Just to see them having success and playing well, I see something special building in our defense."
Perk Is All In
Suntarine Perkins did not need many words to get his point across. The veteran edge rusher is entering what he expects to be his final season in Oxford, and the motivation is straightforward.
"My main goal this year, just winning a national championship. Just keep day by day, just buying in."
On what it is like having Pete Golding as head coach rather than just his defensive coordinator, the answer was personal.
"I've known PG since high school. He is my guy. Just seeing him come to head coach, I feel like he cares more, and just seeing him do that to each and one of us, it means it really a lot."
Stay Connected
Stay up to date with all the latest Ole Miss football news and content! Subscribe to The Sip, the official newsletter of Rebel football, and we'll drop the best Ole Miss football stories, videos and social media content to your inbox each week.
Install and utilize the Ole Miss Sports app, presented by Renasant Bank! The app serves as a dynamic hub for Rebel gameday content, including ticketing, parking, schedules, shopping for official Ole Miss merchandise and much more. Click here for more info or to download.
The tone from all three was consistent. The standard has been set inside the Manning Center, and the new faces are buying in fast.
A Winning Mindset
Brown opened by making clear what has changed most about Ole Miss football. It is not just the facilities or the resources. It is the expectation.
"It's not the 'We hope we can win' mindset,'" Brown said. "It's the 'We're going to win every single football game.' That's the mindset now."
Brown was equally direct about what success looks like this spring. Before scheme or matchups, his unit has to master the fundamentals, and he is grading accordingly.
"The number one thing we look at and work on during the spring? Their alignment. Can they get aligned correctly?" Brown said. "That's the very first thing they have to get done. And if they can do that right and then understand their assignment and know what their keys are, that's what we're trying to get out of spring ball."
Leading the Way
Brown singled out two veterans he has challenged to become more vocal, Echoles and defensive back Antonio Kite, noting that doing things right on the field is no longer enough by itself.
"They do everything right on the football field," Brown said. "They go hard each and every day at practice, but now we just need them to step up and be a little bit more vocal."
Echoles acknowledged the challenge does not come naturally, but that it is starting to show up when it matters.
"I'm kind of quiet, honestly, Echoles said. "I try to lead by example like Coach Brown said, just by doing the right things. But the vocal part of the leadership has been coming out lately."
When pressed on what that looks like on the field, Echoles kept it straightforward.
"If we're practicing sloppy or doing something sloppy, just speaking up and telling the guys, 'This ain't how we do things around here.' Just stuff like that."
New Faces
Brown raved about transfer linebacker Keaton Thomas, who has wasted no time making a statement in Oxford, including an early morning workout that caught the staff's attention.
"He may be one of the best ones that's been here in a long, long time," Brown said. "He brings that tenacity that you want from a linebacker standpoint, downhill runner, really good communicator, great in the passing game, and he only knows one speed. I don't give a damn if we walk through or not, he's going full speed."
Brown also issued a name to watch from the edge rusher class, and he did not mince words.
"Landon Barnes is going to be a household name. You can write that down," Brown said. "He's is a heck of a football player that's going to play for us this year for sure."
Echoles offered his own early read on the defense as a whole, and the optimism was genuine.
"The back end, they make plays," Echoles said. "They make unbelievable plays daily. Cedrick Beavers just made a play in practice today that was crazy. Just to see them having success and playing well, I see something special building in our defense."
Perk Is All In
Suntarine Perkins did not need many words to get his point across. The veteran edge rusher is entering what he expects to be his final season in Oxford, and the motivation is straightforward.
"My main goal this year, just winning a national championship. Just keep day by day, just buying in."
On what it is like having Pete Golding as head coach rather than just his defensive coordinator, the answer was personal.
"I've known PG since high school. He is my guy. Just seeing him come to head coach, I feel like he cares more, and just seeing him do that to each and one of us, it means it really a lot."
Stay Connected
Stay up to date with all the latest Ole Miss football news and content! Subscribe to The Sip, the official newsletter of Rebel football, and we'll drop the best Ole Miss football stories, videos and social media content to your inbox each week.
Install and utilize the Ole Miss Sports app, presented by Renasant Bank! The app serves as a dynamic hub for Rebel gameday content, including ticketing, parking, schedules, shopping for official Ole Miss merchandise and much more. Click here for more info or to download.
Players Mentioned
DE
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CB
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DT
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CB
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LB
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/ FootballPRESSER: Will Echoles 4-3-26
Friday, April 03
PRESSER: Will Echoles 4-3-26
Friday, April 03
PRESSER: Suntarine Perkins 4-3-26
Friday, April 03
PRESSER: Bryan Brown 4-3-26
Friday, April 03