By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

NEW ORLEANS — In addition to the Southern Miss football team, there will be an even added “Southern Six” flair to Tuesday’s New Orleans Bowl.
Former Biloxi High standout Devon Smith is a solid offensive lineman for Western Kentucky this season, and the Hilltoppers will provide the opposition for the Golden Eagles at the Superdome this week.
Smith has seen action in all 12 games for Western Kentucky this season, and is expected to do so again Tuesday against Southern Miss. Kickoff at the Caesars Superdome is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

The Hilltoppers finished the regular season at 8-4, thanks to a 37-34 to Jacksonville State on Saturday, Nov. 29, to close the regular season. The Gamecocks made a 28-yard field goal as time expired to decide the game, and the Hilltoppers finished Conference USA play at 6-2.
But Smith and his friends up front helped the Hilltoppers rush for over 200 yards for the second time this season.
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound redshirt senior Smith arrived in Bowling Green in late January of this year through the transfer portal, after spending the 2024 season at Louisiana-Monroe where he appeared in 11 games for the Warhawks last season.
Prior to his time in Monroe, La., Smith was at New Mexico for one season, where he played in four games with three starts in 2023. And before that, he was at Jones College for two seasons and played in 16 games.

At Jones, he was named Distinguished Academic All-MACCC and NJCAA All-Academic.
He was a 2021 graduate of Biloxi High, where he was still considered a three-star prospect by Rivals even after missing all but two games due to an injury as a senior.
However, , but as a junior he posted 69 tackles and seven tackles for loss, and as a sophomore he had 74 tackles.
Smith then transitioned over to the offensive line when he got to junior college, and is set to possibly wrap up his collegiate career in that unit Tuesday in New Orleans.