Hilltoppers put through paces at annual Pro Day

Published 4:05 pm Wednesday, March 26, 2025

By Jeff Nations

Dalvin Smith got one last chance to shine on his home field Wednesday.

The longtime Western Kentucky football standout and Glasgow native was among the 19 Hilltoppers taking part in the program’s annual Pro Day at Houchens-Smith Stadium. The goal for Smith and his teammates was to stand out and catch the eye of at least one of the nearly 20 NFL scouts in attendance.

“At first it was a little bit of what I call happy nerves,” said Smith, a wide receiver who’s had a penchant for spectacular game-breaking plays during a six-year career at WKU. “I was excited, but also knew how big this day was and that’s where all the nerves in. That shows how much you care about it, when you get nervous about things like this. But I felt great with what I showed today.”

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Smith, who totaled 131 receptions for 1,571 yards and 21 touchdowns as first a tight end and then a wide receiver, had some of his biggest moments in bowl games for the Tops. In the New Orleans Bowl victory against South Alabama in 2022, the former Scotties starting quarterback threw a touchdown pass and caught another. The next year, Smith came down with a pair of jaw-dropping one-handed grabs for touchdowns in the Tops’ come-from-behind win against Old Dominion in the Famous Toastery Bowl.

The highlight films are out there to see, but Smith wanted the scouts to see some of his other talents in workouts designed to test speed, agility, strength, route-running and technique.

“Really, more my route running, getting in and out of breaks – more of that sort of thing,” said the 6-foot-2 Smith. “Really, that’s it – my route running. On film, most of my routes are short routes that I get 10, 15 yards on here and there. Today we focused on a little shorter routes, getting in and out of breaks.

“I feel like I put on a great show – showing my hands, speed, even for my size, being able to get in and out of some of those cuts.”

Fellow wide receiver Kisean Johnson had a much different path to Wednesday’s Pro Day. A Birmingham, Alabama, native, Johnson spent just one season at WKU after transferring in from FCS-level Alabama State.

Johnson made the most of that lone year, earning All-Conference USA second-team honors after leading the team with 75 catches for 925 yards and seven touchdowns. The 6-2 speedster wanted to show not just his talent, but also his desire to advance to the professional level.

“Hunger, that’s the reason why I was able to do the things I did here,” Johnson said. “Really, that’s probably why I’m able to do all things I’ve been able to do in my career – my hunger. That’s something you can’t teach. You see it in my eyes, every time I wake up, every time I come out here. Whatever I’m doing, I’m hungry, man, because I come from a place where not too many guys get an opportunity. I feel as though God put me in this position to be the proof, to show them back home that it’s a possibility. It’s a way out. So I just say my hunger, my charisma, my swag – just me, I’m gonna be me.”

Running back Elijah Young was the lone representative at his position, but that didn’t mean the Knoxville, Tennessee, native was about to ease up on his personal workout.

“I’m a competitive person, that’s just me,” Young said. “So regardless of what position you are, I’m going to always just compare myself with you and I’ve just got to have it.”

Young, who spent two seasons at WKU after transferring from Missouri, followed up a solid first season with the Tops in 2023 (474 rushing yards, 3 TDs) with a stellar final year this past season when he ran for a team-high 883 yards and three TDs and also hauled in 47 receptions for 384 yards and two scores.

“Really, I feel like they get a gist of me being a powerful runner,” said the 5-10, 198-pound Young. “But now, it’s more like they can really lock in on me catching the ball out of the backfield and me running fast.”

Upton Stout, who spent three seasons with the Hilltoppers after transferring from North Texas, is considered the most likely player among the group to be picked in next month’s NFL Draft. The Houston native built on a his successful run with the Hilltoppers with a standout performance at the postseason Senior Bowl, then impressed again after earning an invitation to the NFL Combine.

Stout skipped Wednesday’s basic measurements tests, but the Houston native still participated with his recent teammates by taking part in the position workouts.

“I guess I could say it’s 80% fun, 20% business,” Stout said of the pre-draft process. “Like, I know what I’m there for but at the end of the day every time I step out on the field I feel like I’m having fun.”

Sports Editor, Bowling Green Daily News

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