By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

and

JOSEPH GEX II/Sports Writer

MOBILE, Ala. — A trio of “Southern Six” standout seniors will wrap up their prep football careers here Saturday afternoon with one more outing in a prestigious and long-running all-star contest.

The annual Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Football Classic will take place at noon at Hancock/Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama. The 38th affair will feature George County quarterback Deuce Knight, Gulfport offensive lineman J.J. McCann and St. Stanislaus place-kicker/punter Evan Noel.

Noel, one of the top two consensus ranked ranked kickers in the nation for the Class of 2025, has had a number of postseason honors come his way recently. The Saint Stanislaus College kicker recently signed with Southeastern Conference member the University of Florida Gators.

Noel has been a starter for four seasons, handling kickoffs, extra points, field goals and punts. In 2024, Noel made 21-of-23 PATs, 11-for-20 field goals including a state record 61-yard kick against Pass Christian this past season. 

He also handled kickoff duties with 43 kickoffs for 2,318 yards with 30 touchbacks and five converted on-sides attempts.

Noel also handled punting duties for SSC with 36 punts for 1,477 yards for a 41.03 avg and five kicks downed inside-10 yard line. 

He was selected as first team All-Division 8-3A and was named the Special Teams Player of the Year.

He was also chosen first-team All-State for Class 3A for the third consecutive season. 

The 6-foot-2, 155-pound Noel flipped from Arkansas to Florida on November 11th. He is one of only two, including Knight, “Southern Six” products to sign with an SEC school this season so far. He flipped from Arkansas after a year-long commitment to the Razorbacks. Arkansas viewed Noel as an immediate solution to its special team’s woes. The Razorbacks have only hit 13 of 20 field goal attempts this season, and Noel had a strong chance to start there next season.

Instead, he’ll head to Gainesville in 2025 and begin his college career behind Trey Smack. There is a chance Noel challenges Smack for the starting job next season, but that means beating out a third-year starter in his senior year.

Smack began his Gators career as a kickoff specialist while Adam Mihalek served as the primary placekicker. Since then, Smack has made 27 of 34 field goal attempts, including three from beyond 50 yards.

Noel understands the situation he’s entering, though.

“If I went there I would have to sit behind Trey for a year, or at least be in a position battle with him my first year,” Noel told 24/7 Sports recently. “They wanted to get a kicker they liked a lot this cycle, which is me. Have me there to get developed, learn from Trey and the coaches, and then be ready to go the next year.”

Noel ranks as the No.1 kicker in the 2025 class, according to Kohl’s camps.