DeVonta Smith has been at Alabama for three years and played in 23 games, but still not a day goes by that he’s not confused with his more famous namesake.

It used to bother him, he admits. But as the years have passed, the junior defensive back from Cincinnati has learned to roll with it.

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“It still happens 100% of the time,” Smith said during Saturday’s Rose Bowl Media Day. “It’s crazy. It’s funny to me now, but I used to be like ‘how do y’all confuse us? We look nothing alike.’

“But that’s my brother, man. I salute everything he’s doing. I’m trying to follow in his footsteps and trying to get where he is.”

Smith probably should have known what he was getting into. He committed to Alabama in June 2020, just as the “original” DeVonta Smith was about to begin his senior season with the Crimson Tide.

The elder Smith enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in Alabama history that fall, becoming the first wide receiver in nearly 30 years to win the Heisman Trophy. He was then off to the NFL as a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, with the younger Smith arriving that fall as a true freshman.

“I actually hit him up and just talked to him about it before committing to Alabama,” the younger Smith said. “He just broke it down. He was real about it from the jump about everything — how it is here, the culture. It’s all about being patient and trusting in the process and how everything is going to work out. That’s what I’m doing. I’m very appreciative and thankful to him.”

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Smith’s patience has certainly been tested during his time at Alabama. He’s been a contributor on special teams since his true freshman year, playing in nine games in 2021 and 10 more in 2022.

However, he suffered a huge setback heading into 2023. He broke his foot in February and then re-injured it in the preseason, missing nine games before finally returning to the field on Nov. 11 vs. Kentucky and seeing action on special teams and at safety against the Wildcats, Chattanooga, Auburn and Georgia.

“My journey has been wild,” Smith said. “I just thank God that I’m here today and I’m thankful for my journey because it only made me stronger. Breaking my foot early this February and coming back and getting injured again, missing the first (several) games, but being able to come back and get back in the rotation and play a little bit, is just a blessing man. I thank God and it’s only going to be up from here.”

Smith grew up in hardcore Big Ten country, and was actually committed to Ohio State at one time before switching to Alabama. However, he said he was actually more of a Michigan fan as a youngster.

Fast-forward several years, and he now gets to suit up against the Wolverines in Monday’s Rose Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal. It’s a dream come true for the one-time four-star prospect out of Cincinnati’s La Salle High School.

“I grew up not liking Ohio State and loving Michigan,” Smith said. “But now, it’s all Bama. I’m a ‘country’ boy now.

“… The Rose Bowl has always been a big part of my life, from my childhood growing up. I had family members who went to the Rose Bowl when Ohio State played Oregon (in 2010), who came back and brought me gear. So this is a big moment for me, for sure.”

The 2024 Rose Bowl game kicks off at 4 p.m. Monday, with television coverage on ESPN.