Antonio Kite is preparing for his second season at cornerback for the Ole Miss Rebels, as the 2026 campaign approaches.
Kite met with the media on Thursday and discussed his relationship with head coach Pete Golding.
“I say I came back because Coach Pete (Golding), as our loyalty runs deep,” Kite said. “Like, we’re real close. We were together at Alabama, so I just decided not to betray him and go anywhere else. He gave me a chance to come here.”
Kite played for Golding, who was the defensive coordinator in 2022, which was Golding’s last season with the Crimson Tide.
“(He) stuck his head out for me,” Kite said. “So I owe him that.”
Kite and Golding have a special relationship, as many players have said about Coach Golding.
“First of all, he texts me outside of football,” Kite said. “He calls me, and we get on the phone and he just is himself. We have fun and he is a good dude.”
In his first season at Ole Miss, Kite played in 12 games with 34 total tackles, 25 of which were solo and nine were assisted by teammates.
“Last year was big for me,” Kite said. “My teammates and Coach (Bryan) Brown, Coach Pete, they just really pushed me and made me work, and they made me strain and made me a better me.”
Kite added that the defensive system that Golding and his staff have here is a “good fit,” he said. “I mean, I’m a ball player. At the end of the day, I can do all things.”
Kite is going through spring camp as a Rebel for the first time after transferring in from Auburn after last spring.
“I have been doing better,” Kite said. “My teammates kind of push me a little bit more this year because it’s my last year. I mostly want to get the young guys better. Just show them the right way, basically.”
Kite and the Rebel defense are looking forward to their season opener versus Louisville.
