Dalvin Smith is playing the best football of his Western Kentucky career.

The Glasgow native has become one of the top targets for the Hilltopper quarterbacks this spring, which wrapped up with the program’s annual spring game Saturday at Houchens-Smith Stadium.

“He’s making plays all over the field. He’s kind of the go-to guy for the quarterbacks. They look for him all the time,” WKU head coach Tyson Helton said after the team’s third scrimmage of the spring. “He’s going to be a guy that you need to keep him healthy for sure. He’s going to be a big-play guy for us.”

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound redshirt sophomore agreed with Helton’s assessment that it was the best he’s been since joining the team in the spring of 2019.

“I actually do agree with that just because last year I didn’t have that big of a role in the offense, but coming into this year I do since Jerreth (Sterns) left,” Smith said Thursday after the team’s final practice of the spring session. “We’ve just got some pieces to fill in.”

The Hilltoppers are trying to replace their top two receivers from last season – Sterns and Mitchell Tinsley – when the offense finished with the second-best scoring average and total yardage per game, and had the best aerial attack in the nation with Bailey Zappe at quarterback.

Smith’s spring game Saturday was fairly quiet compared to the rest of his spring – he unofficially had four catches for 28 yards, with all four coming from different quarterbacks – but before the game was named the team’s overall spring offensive MVP.

“I can’t speak enough about Dalvin,” WKU wide receiver Daewood Davis said after Saturday’s spring game. “Everybody knows Dalvin was a player that he got in one play, touchdown. Seeing him take the strides this spring – he won spring MVP. Dalvin’s just a completely whole different person. He knows the offense now in and out. He knows he’s got shoes to fill. We lost Jerreth, so somebody has to step in and take that role and I think Dalvin realizes that. Dalvin came out this spring with a whole mentality that he’s going to be that guy this year.”

Smith has shown big-play potential during his career, but has overcome injuries to get where he currently is. He had 11 receptions for 151 yards and five touchdowns last season and was a 2021 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year nominee after missing the second half of the 2020 season with a leg injury.

Smith appeared in five games during the 2020 season and was coming on strong, catching four passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns, before sustaining the injury Oct. 24. against Chattanooga.

He played in four games – mainly on special teams – during the 2019 season, and redshirted. He had joined the program the prior spring, after signing in February 2018 and grayshirting while taking classes at WKU’s Glasgow campus and focusing on gaining weight.

Smith’s playing time at Glasgow was limited – his sophomore season with the Scotties was cut short by a knee injury five games in after he tallied 107 yards on nine receptions. After recovering from that injury, Smith suffered another injury leading into his junior year. Smith returned his senior year and did it all for the Scotties. He started the season at quarterback and threw for 916 yards and 13 touchdowns on 66 of 137 passing, before Tanner Abernathy took over primary quarterback responsibilities in mid-October. Smith rushed for 433 yards and six touchdowns on 41 carries that season and caught 16 passes for 400 yards and seven touchdowns. Defensively, he had 22 tackles and three interceptions.

Now healthy and getting in a rhythm, Smith has been making highlight-reel catches during the team’s scrimmages this spring.

“He’s been fantastic all spring. He’s always been a really good player,” Helton said after the team’s second scrimmage. “Unfortunately, he had the injury bug. We need to keep him healthy. He could be huge for us next year. Very explosive player as you saw today. For him, we’ve just got to keep utilizing him and getting him in the right situations where he can go make those explosive plays.”

Smith said his biggest focus this offseason has been on improving his route running. He’s already developed a good relationship with WKU’s quarterbacks, including West Virginia transfer Jarret Doege, who’s been taking the majority of the first-team reps at the position this spring. Smith says he and Doege communicate throughout the day about new ideas on the field.

“We call him a freak because that’s what he is – he just makes freaky plays all the time,” Doege said. “It’s good to see him make those kind of plays. He’s a guy I really trust. If no one’s open, I find Dalvin and he’ll make a play for me.”

The Hilltoppers are scheduled to open the 2022 regular season against Austin Peay on Aug. 27 at Houchens-Smith Stadium.{&end}