WKU Football: What Dalvin Smith, Upton Stout Returning Means for the Hilltoppers in 2024
Dalvin Smith Jr. and Upton Stout are returning to the Hill for the 2024 season. Here’s what it means for the Hilltoppers, both on and off the field.
Christmas came early for Western Kentucky fans Friday night, when it was announced that wide receiver Dalvin Smith Jr. and cornerback Upton Stout would be returning to the Hill for the 2024 season.
Stout’s announcement came after he had previously entered the transfer portal, while Smith was widely rumored to do so, even if to test the waters.
The announcements were a major win not only for Tyson Helton, to continue the good mojo in a week that opened with a miraculous comeback win in the Famous Toastery Bowl, but for WKU’s NIL collective, the Red Towel Trust, who for a second-straight year has been able to ward off a top transfer candidate from a power program.
With Smith and Stout set to officially return for 2024, here’s what it means for the Hilltoppers as we prepare to hit the meat of the offseason before spring practice starts up.
Dalvin Smith Instantly Becomes the New WR1
Last year, Smith ranked second only to the NFL-bound Malachi Corley in receptions (50), receiving yards (513) and touchdown catches (6). While he only crossed the 100-yard receiving mark once (against Sam Houston State), he did come close in the opener against South Florida (97 yards) after Corley exited with an injury in the first quarter.
He also logged a career-high in targets (9) and touchdowns (3) in Monday’s win over ODU.
With Corley sitting out most of the second half to prepare for his Senior Bowl and combine showcases, the Tops got a glimpse of what a future with Smith as the top target looks like, and it looks good. Especially if Caden Veltkamp stays and wins the starting job next year, a high I’m still not off of.
It wasn’t only performance, especially in the closing stretch of the season, that leads me to believe Smith will be Corley’s successor, but his usage as well. Not only is he a downfield threat, but he lined up wide for WKU’s patented quick-screen game, and did a great job in those formations. While few will rival Corley’s YAC King status, Smith could be next on the throne for the Tops.
Stout Makes Stand by Returning to the Hill
Upton Stout’s impact upon his return will be felt more than just on the field.
But that’s where we’ll start - On the field, he was the third-highest rated WKU defensive player by Pro Football Focus, boasting a 78.5 PFF College grade, and that was only in seven games, due to injuries. He totaled 29 tackles and an interception this season, numbers that felt low until I realize a) how hurt he was and b) remembered how lockdown a defender he was when he was healthy.
A three-star out of high school, Stout’s profile has risen quite a bit since becoming a standout on the Hilltoppers defense. According to 247Sports, Stout is considered a four-star transfer and was ranked as the No. 47 overall player in the transfer portal, drawing interest from programs such as USC, Ole Miss, Cincinnati and Michigan, where he was projected to be going before Friday’s announcement.
While his return on the field is valuable, maybe more valuable is his impact off of it and what it says about WKU’s program and NIL efforts that he returned to the Hill instead of going to the No. 1 seed in this year’s college football playoff.
The transfer portal is seen as a golden ticket, especially for top-end G5 players to head to a power program and truly make a name for themselves. Stout was probably a guy that could go and start for the Wolverines next year and generate draft buzz.
Or, Stout could have gone and fallen in to the same category that we saw guys like Mitchell Tinsley and Mason Brooks fall into last year - serviceable at their power program but didn’t make enough of a splash to truly get noticed by NFL scouts.
As disappointing as WKU’s regular season was, this week was a great palette cleanser.
A comeback win from a team that struggled in close games this year, against a former conference foe that left for greener pastures (how’s that Sun Belt bowl record looking, again?) with a glimpse at what the future could hold in multiple positions across the field.
While not as flashy as an Austin Reed telling a former WKU head coach, and in-state rival, to go you-know-what themselves, Smith and Stout’s return could be more impactful in 2024 than Reed’s return ended up being in 2023.
That, coupled with the message the Hilltoppers continue to send offseason after offseason, should leave Hilltoppers fans smiling as we head into the new year.
After all, Santa Claus’ favorite color is red.