Cornerback Deantre Prince finding his voice in second chance with Ole Miss

Very few get a second chance at the same school once they leave, but Deantre Prince was one of those few and has taken full advantage.

Prince was a key piece in the resurgence of the Ole Miss defense last season, finishing with 46 tackles and two interceptions. It was a big jump from his 25 tackles during his freshman season in 2019.

There is a gap between those years where Prince was not in Oxford and that is because he made the decision to leave the program, transferring to Northeast Mississippi Community College for the 2020 season.

Making the decision to take a step back and go down to the JUCO ranks was one Prince did at the time as a way to help himself mature and grow as a person and a player on and off the field.

But now, looking back on it after his first season back with the Rebels, Prince has a different viewpoint.

“It’s like 50-50 with me because I feel like if would have manned up and just put my big boy pants on that same year and just finished out, I feel like I would have even felt better just by doing it without having to go back down or having to go through that controversy,” Prince told the Ole Miss Spirit.

The year away was not an unproductive one for Prince. During his season at NEMCC, he had 25 tackles in five games.

But, Prince did not stay gone long as he rejoined the Rebels in December of 2020 as a non-scholarship player and was a full-time come spring drills.

When Prince returned for his second stint he said he felt like a rookie all over again.

However, he gradually started taking on the role of veteran throughout last year.

One way that he saw himself growing was how he approached his leadership. Prince said he likes to lead through his actions, but as last season progressed he saw himself becoming more vocal and not just with his teammates.

“I haven’t always been in that role as serious as I should,” Prince said. Prince, along with five other Ole Miss Rebels, has signed an exclusive NIL deal with the Ole Miss Spirit.

“I always felt like leading by action was my best way. I’ve never been a talkative type of person. I never wanted to be one who just gets on everybody. I wanted to be the one who was showing them how to do it instead of just doing it.

“I actually talked a lot this year. Even on and off the field. With players, with teammates, with family members. I just tried my best to communicate more and more now and get into that leading role more.”

There are certain calls that cornerbacks have to make specific to their position group.

When Prince started making those calls across the field he said that is when he noticed he was becoming more comfortable as a vocal leader.

Last season did not end the way the Rebels would have preferred with the loss to Baylor in the Sugar Bowl, but Prince said there is still plenty of momentum within the defense’s locker room and also a little bit of an edge to them heading into 2022.

“We feel like we have a chip on our shoulder even more now than the one we had last year,” Prince said. “That’s what led us to all those big wins and good defensive plays. I feel in the Sugar Bowl we played good, though we just the energy we needed just wasn’t there at some certain point and of the game.”

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