Antonio Kite stayed at Ole Miss because he couldn't 'betray' head coach Pete Golding

OXFORD – Relationships matter to Ole Miss cornerback Antonio Kite. It’s part of the reason why leaving Ole Miss and head coach Pete Golding wasn’t really an option.

Kite, a senior who began his career as a four-star recruit at Alabama and then transferred to Auburn for a season before landing at Ole Miss prior to 2025, emerged as one of the Rebels’ top cornerbacks a season ago. The 247Sports-ranked three-star transfer started 12 games last season and finished with 34 tackles and five pass breakups. The 6-foot tall, 190-pound Anniston, Alabama native had the top overall grade among Ole Miss defensive backs (78.2) and second highest coverage grade (79.6) among Rebels defenders behind only senior linebacker Suntarine Perkins, according to Pro Football Focus.

Golding, who is entering his first full season as Ole Miss’ head coach after being elevated from defensive coordinator last November and leading the Rebels through the College Football Playoff, helped recruit Kite to Alabama as a member of the Crimson Tide’s 2022 recruiting class.

In an era where testing the waters of the transfer portal in pseudo-free agency is so common, Kite said he couldn’t let Golding down.

“I came back because coach Pete,” Kite said. “ … We (are) real close. We were together at Alabama. So, I just decided I can’t betray him, go anywhere else. He gave me a chance to come here, stuck his head out for me. So, I owe him that.”

Ole Miss returns junior cornerback Jaylon Braxton and added Kite's former Auburn teammate junior cornerback Jalyn Crawford – a four-star transfer, per 247Sports – in addition to highly touted safeties senior Sharif Denson (Florida) and junior Edwin Joseph (Florida State). The Rebels surrendered 198.9 yards per game through the air last season, which was 37th nationally and fifth in the SEC. Though he is now head coach, Golding will still call the defense on game days with Bryan Brown serving as defensive coordinator and Marcus Woodson as co-defensive coordinator.

Kite is confident he would have fit into any defensive system around the country and thrived. But something about being at Ole Miss has allowed him to unlock his potential. Part of that is due to comfort.

“I can fit good anywhere. I’m a ballplayer at the end of the day. I can do all things,” Kite said. “This … just felt like family here.”