D’Iberville sophomore standout lands first FBS offer

He still has three years of high school football left to play, but D’Iberville offensive lineman Louis Paul Smith is already demanding attention from college recruiters.

This weekend, the Warriors’ sophomore guard landed his first FBS offer from Southern Miss.

“It felt great knowing that my hard work is being recognized,” Smith said Sunday. “I’m thankful for Coach (Jay) Hopson and Coach (Jack) Wright for giving me the opportunity to play college football. Being young, it’s really a confidence booster.”

“It felt outstanding.”

Smith has gone to several USM camps, but this past weekend left a lasting impression on the Golden Eagles.

“I had a really good day at camp,” Smith said. “I think the good day really pushed me over the top. They saw it and jumped on it.”

So what’s Smith think of USM?

“I really, really like Southern Miss,” he said. “It feels like family up there. I’m really comfortable there. As a program, I know they’re a standout team in Conference USA.

“And (Hopson), I think he’s a great coach. He understands his players and the community.”

Smith said he’s already hearing from other schools like Ole Miss, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Illinois, Oregon and Florida. Not surprisingly, the sophomore is in no rush to make a pledge.

“I’m definitely going to wait until my senior year to make a decision,” he said. “Part of it is academics because you have to be a good student before you can be an athlete and I want to find the right academic fit.”

Smith started all of D’Iberville’s games at center last season, but with new coach Eric Collins in charge, Smith has moved to guard to better fit the Warriors’ new offense.

This story was originally published July 26, 2016 at 3:55 PM with the headline "D’Iberville sophomore standout lands first FBS offer."