Former Gautier standout fortifies Southern Miss offensive line

From the Singing River Classic to the ranks of division I college football, Paul Gainer is having to grow up quickly as a freshman at Southern Miss that’s already been called into action.
On Saturday, the former Gautier standout was the next man up when starting left tackle Drake Dorbeck went down with an injured left arm late in the first quarter.
Gainer stepped in admirably in his place, playing the final three quarters of the game without incident despite the 24-17 loss to Kentucky.
That’s a lot of responsibility to place on a true freshman versus an SEC opponent, but Gainer didn’t play like a guy that’s still fresh out of high school.
Southern Miss Quarterback Kwadra Griggs said, “Practice makes perfect. He practices hard every day. He’s not one of them guys that he’s soft, he’s a tough individual and I trust him. I trust him a lot.”
“I was telling my buddy the other day, our games in high school was a college practice. It was a college practice, so it took a whole lot of growth to get here and I’m blessed for that,” said Gainer.
Southern Miss Head Coach Jay Hopson said, “Paul is an extremely talented player and just looking forward to watching him continue to grow and get better. And he’s going to be a really, really good football player here.”
According to 24/7 Sports, Gainer was listed as a three star recruit out of Gautier and decommited from Mississippi State less than a month before National Signing Day.