At 6 feet, 6 inches and 320 pounds, Drake Dorbeck anchors the Southern Miss offensive line.

Southern Miss left tackle Drake Dorbeck on Monday became the first Golden Eagle to win the Entergy Kent Hull Trophy, which goes annually to the best college offensive lineman in Mississippi.

Dorbeck, a fifth-year senior and a three-year starter, leads the Southern Miss offense that averages 429 yards and 31 points per game. Dorbeck, 6 feet, 6 inches and 320 pounds, protects the blind side of quarterback Jack Abraham, who leads CUSA in passing with 292 yards per game.

The winner of the Kent Hull Trophy, named for the late Mississippi State and pro football standout, is chosen by a panel of professional football scouts. This is the seventh year of the Hull Trophy’s existence and all six previous winners (listed below) play or have played in the NFL.

Last year’s winner, Elgton Jenkins of Mississippi State, has become a standout starter as a rookie for the Green Bay Packers.

The 2019 award will be presented at the C Spire Conerly Trophy banquet at the Country Club of Jackson Dec. 3 (5:30 p.m. reception, 6:30 program). Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer Reggie Collier, the former Southern Miss quarterback, will be the featured speaker.

Drake Dorbeck

“It’s a big deal for me,” Dorbeck said after practice Monday evening when he learned he had been selected. “There’s a lot of great offensive linemen in this state. Just to be nominated for this is an honor.”

Dorbeck was a three-sport standout at St. Aloysius High in Vicksburg also playing basketball and baseball. Rated a two-star recruit by recruiting services, he was selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game. Still, he was considered a “project” as a college football player. He red-shirted as a freshman.

“I haven’t always started but I have always worked my tail off,” he said.

Said USM head coach Jay Hopson: “We’re just ecstatic for Drake. We couldn’t be more proud. He has played extremely well this year and been a leader on and off the field for our program. Drake’s a young man who has gotten better every year. He’s always had great size and athleticism. We believe he is a next level talent.”

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Previous Hull Trophy winners (and their pro football teams):

2013: Gabe Jackson, (MSU and Oakland Raiders)

2014: Laremy Tunsil (Ole Miss and Houston Texans)

2015: Fahn Cooper (Ole Miss, drafted by San Franciso 49ers, also played for Indianapolis Colts)

2016: Justin Senior (MSU, drafted by Seattle Seahawks, also played for Kansas City)

2017: Martinas Rankin (MSU and Kansas City Chiefs)

2018: Elgton Jenkins (MSU and Green Bay Packers)

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For tickets to the Conerly Trophy Banquet go to msfame.com or call the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame at 601 982-8264.

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Rick Cleveland, a native of Hattiesburg and resident of Jackson, has been Mississippi Today’s sports columnist since 2016. A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s in journalism, Rick has worked for the Monroe (La.) News Star World, Jackson Daily News and Clarion Ledger. He was sports editor of Hattiesburg American, executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. His work as a syndicated columnist and celebrated sports writer has appeared in numerous magazines, periodicals and newspapers.
Rick has been recognized 13 times as Mississippi Sports Writer of the Year, and is recipient of multiple awards and honors for his reporting and writing.