'We're All One': Dante Devine Embraces O-Line Competition, Chemistry at Southern Miss

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss offensive lineman Dante "Duke" Davine hasn't played his first Division I snap yet, but that didn't stop the Coffeyville Community College transfer from making a bunch of noise in fall camp.

At 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds, Devine certainly looks the part of a DI offensive lineman. What caught offensive line coach Sean Coughlin's attention throughout fall camp, though, was how upbeat and energetic Devine was for a guy his size.

"He's got that mindset and mentality where he just goes, goes, goes," Coughlin said following Southern Miss' Fan Fest scrimmage on Aug. 22. "He's like the Energizer Bunny out there. You watch some of the practices, he's the one flying down the field picking the [running] back up."

Devine emerged as one of the Golden Eagles' pleasant surprises this fall and is now competing with redshirt senior Christian Young for the starting right tackle job. That battle remained tight leading into Week 1, when Southern Miss will open its season against Alcorn State at Renasant Stadium at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday.

Finding Something Different After JUCO

Southern Miss Football — Dante "Duke" Devine's first Southern Miss photoshoot. | Southern Miss Athletics

Devine isn't knocking the junior college route. Coffeyville gave him the opportunity to develop and eventually earn his chance at Southern Miss. However, he can already tell the experience in Hattiesburg is just different.

"It's definitely more organized, I can say. It's better competition for sure. I feel like it's a family here. It's more like we're building on coming together and staying together, you know?" Devine said following Tuesday's practice. "JUCO is like do your time and get out. You build relationships at JUCO as well, but here it's more so we're building a connection that's forever."

Devine also spoke highly of first-year head coach Blake Anderson, particularly the adversity Anderson has endured and overcome throughout his life and career. For Devine, seeing Anderson continue to push forward has made following his lead easy

Southern Miss Football, Blake Anderson — Southern Miss head coach Blake Anderson during his post-scrimmage press conference on Saturday, August 22, 2026. | Josh House

"Coach Anderson's a great guy, man. I feel like he's an outgoing guy. He's very outspoken," Devine said. "If he's leading us now, I'm willing to follow his lead. He's a great guy.

"It's a lot to say, but it's Coach Anderson. He's the best. We all face adversity. Him being able to keep going is what pushes me the most 'cause he's been through a lot and he pushed his way through it. So I look at it as like... if he's going through it, I'ma go through it with him."

That buy-in has helped Devine settle into a program where handouts aren't an option, especially up front.

O-Line Bonding Through Tough Competition

Southern Miss Football, Luke Rogers, Offensive Line — Dante Devine (54) among his other Southern Miss offensive linemen during fall camp. | Josh House

Southern Miss entered fall camp needing to sort through several combinations along its offensive line, and the competition at right tackle has been no exception.

Devine and Young have continued to push for the job, but Devine doesn't view the player beside him, or the one competing with him, as an opponent once the Golden Eagles take the field.

“Up front, it's competition every day," Devine said. "So it's like playing next to the guy, you don't know if it might be a different guy every day, but in the room, I feel like we’re all one. So no matter who's next to me or who's on the line, I feel like we’re all one. So no matter what, I feel like we’re just together. So the guy next to me really doesn't matter who it is. I feel like we're gonna play, and I can trust him in any circumstance.”

It took a little while for that trust to develop. Devine arrived later than many of the offensive linemen he is now working alongside, and he knows the group can still take things to another level, even after having a productive fall camp.

“I feel like there's still a lot of room to grow," Devine said. "I feel like we’re coming along great. Them boys been here for a minute. I got here a little later, but it's still like we're building a bond, and it's like we came a long way for sure. But we still got a lot of room to grow, a lot of improvement to make.”

Devine says he and the other offensive linemen spend time together watching film on their own, something that has helped develop the kind of communication needed for five players to function as one unit. Coughlin, meanwhile, has been a key part of bringing all of the different personalities together.

Southern Miss Football, Dante Devine — Southern Miss offensive lineman Dante Devine (54) addressed the media for the first time since being in Hattiesburg after Tuesday's practice. | Dalton Trigg

“We hang out together, we watch film together without coaches being in there. I feel like we’re just like a big brotherhood, and Coach Coughlin’s down there like our dad almost," Devine said. "We look at Coach, and we understand what he says and how he gets it through us, and I feel like that just bonds us together as one. Coach being able to lead the way he leads and us being able to follow the way we follow, that's all that it really takes... You gotta have trust in the O-Line Room, because five guys out here, we’re viewed as one.”

For a Southern Miss offense that appears to have plenty of playmakers surrounding whoever ends up starting at quarterback, developing that cohesiveness up front could go a long way toward determining how quickly the offense comes together.

Aggressive Mindset With Veteran Help Leading the Way

If Southern Miss wants to establish the run consistently, Devine believes there has to be a certain attitude attached to it, and it's a simple attitude to have: Somebody has to move somebody else.

“We’re a good group, but I feel like being able to run the ball, you gotta be aggressive up front. And that's anything. And with running the ball, the guy in front of you, it’s either you or him. Either you’re gonna win, or he’s gonna win," Devine said. "And that's the mindset you gotta have in the O-Line Room. I feel like we’ve built into that mindset, but it's like we still got to get there. But we're very aggressive, and I like that about our O-Line Room. We take pride in being aggressive.”

The Golden Eagles also received a boost during fall camp when veteran offensive linemen Aloali'i Maui and Greg Nunnery Jr. returned to the program. For a newcomer like Devine, having two experienced voices back in the room has provided more than just additional depth.

Southern Miss Football, Aloali'i Maui — Southern Miss offensive lineman Aloali'i Maui (62) was a key part of the Golden Eagles' offense in 2025. | Southern Miss Athletics

“Them boys are great humans," Devine said of Maui and Nunnery. "They just bring excitement. Maui, he’s from Hawaii, he brings energy and the screaming. And Greg, he’s more so on the chill side, but he's also a leader. He leads when he needs to lead. He's very outspoken when he needs to speak. He doesn't scream all the time, but when he needs to get something through, or we need to talk to him, he's the person we like.

"But them boys are definitely the older guys in our room. You can tell. They definitely carry that on their shoulder as the older guys for sure.”

Devine's exact role against Alcorn State will be decided soon, but his first fall at Southern Miss has already put him firmly in the mix. Now comes the part he's been waiting for.

After going through JUCO football, acclimating to a new coaching staff and going through weeks of hard competition and building trust with his new teammates, Devine is excited and ready to get his first taste of Division I football in front of Golden Eagle fans at The Rock on Saturday.

If Coughlin's "Energizer Bunny" description holds true, there's a good chance Devine won't be difficult to spot once he's out there.

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