By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

SouthMiss6 Sports is rolling out its inaugural roster of the top standout prep football players in our coverage area. The “Sweet 16 in the Southern Six” list was compiled by coaches and sports writers who have been following the action on the gridiron in South Mississippi for the past three decades.

One player will be revealed and added to the list each day beginning today and over the next 13 days.

Next up is a sought after running back in the Class 6A ranks:

3 — Darrell Smith

Picayune |5-9, 170 | Running Back

Smith, A Louisiana-Lafayette commit, had 1,087 rushing yards with 124 carries and 15 touchdowns as a junior last season along with 194 receiving yards and three touchdowns plus he also made 14 tackles in the defensive secondary last year. He is expected to be one of the most versatile backs in the state this fall.

Smith was part of a three-pronged attack at running back for head coach Cody Stogner’s Maroon Tide team that carried the squad to its third consecutive region title as well as their third straight South State championship game.

Picayune went 10-3 last season and was denied a third straight state championship gold ball after falling to West Jones in the Class 6A South State title tilt. The Mustangs went on to win the state title.

2 — Evan Noel

St. Stanislaus | 6-2, 155 | Kicker

Noel, an Arkansas commit, went 8-of-12 on field goals with a long of 49 yards and was 42-of-43 on PATs. He averaged 38.5 yards per punt with a long of 65 last season.

He helped guide the Rock-A-Chaws to an impressive 9-2 overall record and the Region 8-3A title. It marked the first region crown for SSC since 2016.

The Rocks rolled into the playoffs after an 8-1 regular season mark, and knocked off Crystal Springs 23-20 in the opening round of the Class 3A South State playoffs before falling to perennial state power Noxubee County in the second round. Noxubee went on to play for the state championship.

1 — Deuce Knight

George County | 6-4, 206 | Quarterback

Knight, a Notre Dame commit, is the highest-rated quarterback in Mississippi’s 2025 class. He passed for 1,420 yards with 15 touchdowns in seven games last season.

Knight is the number four quarterback overall nationally from the 2025 class according to On3, and is the No. 2 overall recruit from Mississippi for the cycle.

Knight missed the first half of the season for the Rebels last year, but he returned in time to guide George County to an 8-4 overall mark and they earned the second seed in Region 4-6A. However, the Rebels still haven’t won a state playoff game in 17 years after visiting Terry upset homestanding George County 41-39 in the first round of the Class 6A SouthState playoffs to end last season.

Here is a look at the composite schedule for all of the squads in the “Southern Six” for the opening week of the season:

WEEK ONE (AUG. 30TH)

• GEORGE COUNTY at EAST CENTRAL
• HARRISON CENTRAL VS GAUTIER (5:30 p.m., kickoff in PORT CITY BOWL – MILNER STADIUM, Gulfport)
• STONE at BILOXI
• VANCLEAVE at ST. MARTIN  
• MOSS POINT at PASCAGOULA
• PASS CHRISTIAN at LONG BEACH
• RESURRECTION at BAY HIGH
• SACRED HEART at ST. PATRICK 
• MADISON CENTRAL at OCEAN SPRINGS 
• NATCHEZ at HANCOCK
• BRANDON at PICAYUNE 
• D’IBERVILLE at COLUMBIA
• POPLARVILLE at JEFF DAVIS CO.
• PEARL RIVER CENTRAL at SOUTH PIKE
• WEST HARRISON at GREENE COUNTY
• ST. STANISLAUS at FCAHS
• GULFPORT VS GREENVILLE CHRISTIAN (8:30 p.m., kickoff in PORT CITY BOWL – MILNER STADIUM)