Southern Miss WR Davis Dalton Determined To 'End Career On The Right Note'

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – In this modern era of college football, retaining players from one roster to another is difficult. Players from the Group of Five schools tend to entertain name, image, and likeness offers from schools in the Power Four conferences. That hasn't been the case for redshirt-senior wide receiver Davis Dalton.

Not only is Dalton going into his fifth year within the program, but this will be his third time experiencing a coaching change (Will Hall fired in '24, Charles Huff leaving in '25, and Blake Anderson hired in '25). You don't see that often nowadays, and it's a testament to his determination to win at the highest level for one school: Southern Mississippi. This week, Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI caught up with Dalton to learn more about him and discuss his progression from his time at Madison-Ridgeland Academy to now.

Dalton's Path to Hattiesburg

Born and raised in Madison, Mississippi, Dalton attended Madison-Ridgeland Academy. During his senior year, he appeared in 14 games, catching 89 passes for 1,586 yards and 15 touchdowns. He helped lead the Patriots to win the 2021 MAIS 6A State Championship with his MAIS All-State honors.

"MRA prepared me for the collegiate level with an incredible staff that developed me as a player and person," Dalton said. "Everyone at MRA pushed me to be my very best each and every single day." He added how important it was for him to play for a team within his home state: "Every kid dreams of playing close to home to represent their state. When Southern Miss became an opportunity for me, I realized that it's a community that many people enjoy being around."

For Dalton, it hasn't just been the football that's made an impact on him: "Since I've enrolled at USM, It’s meant a lot to me to have lots of family and friend support. My time within the university has been special on and off the field by making great relationships with people that will last a lifetime. Everyone knows you, and the connections widen as time goes on."

Impact of Coaching Changes

"I’ve been grateful to have been given the opportunity to play for every head coach during my time within the program," Dalton said. "Coach Anderson is a great leader with Christian values who brings guys together for a common goal of winning."

Dalton talked about Anderson's true character in and out of the locker room: "He is very personable with every person who comes through the program and makes it enjoyable to come to the facilities to go to work no matter the day."

After a huge coaching change, it's never easy to retain players, especially in the middle of the postseason. For Dalton and other returning players, they took it as an opportunity to become leaders on and off the field. On Thursday, July 16th, he was one of two player representatives, along with redshirt-junior linebacker Mathis Haygood, for the program at Sun Belt Conference Media Days in New Orleans, Louisiana.

What to Know About Dalton

After redshirting his freshman year, Dalton's role on the team progressively increased each season. In '23, his redshirt-freshman season, he appeared in 6 games, where he brought in 3 receptions for 39 yards on the year. In '24, his redshirt sophomore season, he appeared in 12 games, catching 15 receptions for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns on the year. In '25, his redshirt-junior season, he appeared in 12 games, where he brought in 4 receptions, 82 yards, and one touchdown on the year.

Wide Receiver Davis Dalton returns for his senior season

✅ 6’3 207
✅ 13.7 avg yards per catch pic.twitter.com/a1x1extJUT
— USMVoice (@USMVoice) July 12, 2026

After Huff's departure, it was clear that Dalton would return for his redshirt-senior year if Offensive Coordinator Blake Anderson was hired as the next head coach of the program. On December 11th, 2025, the university announced Blake Anderson as the 24th head football coach in Southern Miss' history. It's clear what his role will be moving forward: Dalton is primed to be one of the biggest targets in the wide receiver room going into the fall, and he’s looking to end his career on a positive note.

“Every senior wants to end up on top, and personally, I definitely want to end my Southern Miss career on top after having a bunch of ups and downs throughout the years,” Dalton said. “I’ve had two losing seasons, two winning seasons, and you always want to end it on the right note.”

Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more USM football player profiles in the upcoming weeks.

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