Name: Jadyn Davis
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 203 lbs.
High school: Charlotte (NC) Providence Day
Position: Quarterback
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #2
Last year: Davis was a senior in high school (LINK). He completed 204/288 (70.8%) of his passes for 3,370 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions, while also rushing for 3 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 68
Davis was one of the highest profile commitments in Michigan's 2024 class. He finished the cycle ranked as a 4-star, the #9 quarterback, and #112 overall in the 247 Composite. Throwing the ball to Michigan commit and legacy Channing Goodwin - along with other elite players - Davis led his high school team to a state championship and put up great numbers, especially with completing 70.8% of his throws, which is superb for a high schooler.
Davis joins a team that is unlikely to use him this season. He enrolled early, but at a listed 6'1" and 203 pounds, he has some physical limitations. After considering what else Michigan has in the pipeline, I dropped his TTB Rating pretty precipitously from an 87 to a 68; with the transfer portal the way it is, I'm not sure Davis will hang around long enough to be a starter. Furthermore, Michigan has very little history of playing quarterbacks who are so slight but somewhat lacking in mobility; Denard Robinson was 6'1" but super fast and Shea Patterson (6'2", 202) was known for making plays with his legs. I see Davis as a 6'1" (but probably shorter) pocket quarterback, and that's just a tough thing to do at a place like Michigan with a bunch of 6'6" linemen.
Additionally, Michigan seems to have a three-way battle for the starting quarterback position, including Alex Orji, Jack Tuttle, and Davis Warren. Jadyn Davis would be a great scout team quarterback during the week, but if he gets on the field, it will likely only be in mop-up duty during a blowout or two. And considering that Orji and Warren both have eligibility into 2025 and beyond, Davis would likely have to bide his time for two or three years before having a legitimate shot to play.
Prediction: Redshirt
Backup this year and next. We'll see if he can beat out the younger guys after that
ReplyDeleteCompetition is a great thing
I am surprised at the drop in TTB Rating. I thought he would be the ideal QB for an offense that focuses more on the run game. Even though he is physically limited, he is accurate and seems to be able to read the field (at least at the high school level). I was hoping he can be a better version of Cade.
ReplyDeleteYeah I had the same thought. Not trying to get too locked in on anyone who hasn't played any college football yet, but even if the upside is limited, you'd think a guy recruited by Harbaugh and Moore would have potential to fit into the system and be successful.
DeleteIf they don't change the offense to optimize Orji, I could see Davis stepping in next year. Though in these times you have to consider the Portal as the most likely place to find your starter if things go poorly with your high school recruits.
I think Davis' accuracy and character are traits the coaching staff value so he's got a shot.
Harbaugh recruited Dylan McCaffrey, Joe Milton, Alex Malzone, Jayden Denegal, etc., too. None of them have panned out at Michigan (yet, in the case of Denegal). For every hit, there's bound to be one or two misses.
DeleteLOL at including Milton.
DeleteOtherwise, yes that is true overall that there are hits and misses in QB recruiting but Malzone was a year 0 guy to fill out the class and Denegal isn't done yet. The only true recruiting miss there was McCaffrey and even he was a useful backup and rush package guy for a while.
I would say that Harbaugh's track record was still pretty solid at QB even though some of the guys like McNamara and Peters were not as good as we hoped they could be - they were still Big Ten caliber starting QBs.
Other than McCarthy and Malzone, who were from the outset pretty clearly a stud and a dud, respectively, we (collectively, as a fanbase) have not been very good at figuring out who the starters are / are not going to be and how good they are going to be. Even AFTER they are freshman. For example, our current projected starter was predicted to change positions by many. And while that still could happen, it'll probably be somebody younger (like Davis) that would push Orji to that change. Emergence of better/younger guys tends to drive transfers (e.g., McCarthy pushing out McNamara who pushed out Milton who pushed out McCaffrey who pushed out Peters) and position changes.
Anyway, it seems that spotty (at best) track record with predicting QB won't stop us from projecting out several years with confidence anyway. If nothing else it's entertaining.
Joe Milton did not pan out at Michigan. He started for part of a year and was replaced by a guy who is now struggling at Iowa. What he did somewhere other than Michigan is pretty irrelevant.
DeleteDenegal is going into year three and does not appear to be in the running to start. Unless he makes a remarkable leap, he's unlikely to ever be a starter at Michigan.
Even if we don't want to throw Denegal on the "miss" pile yet...if Davis turns into a starter before transferring, Denegal is unlikely to start. If Denegal takes over the starting job for 2025 and 2026 or whatever, it's unlikely Davis waits around until 2027 to start.
So either Davis or Denegal is probably going to be a "miss" when it comes to his Michigan career.
Who is NOT a miss by that logic? McCarthy and...
DeleteMilton was situational contributor before becoming a starter at Michigan. Obviously he went on to success elsewhere and getting drafted in the NFL, so it speaks to Harbaugh's credit and doesn't count as a "miss" just because McNamara beat him out and the team collectively fell apart in 2020. Just as McNamara doesn't count as a "miss" because McCarthy beat him out and the team improved the minute he got hurt.
These are quality college QBs! They were starters at Michigan! They got drafted (or could get drafted in Cade's case)! They competed legitimately with each other for starting spots. They aren't misses.
On writing off Denegal, I'll draw a contrast between two RS Junior QBs at the same point of their careers at Michigan:
DeleteIn 2024 Jayden Denegal is "going into year three and does not appear to be in the running to start. Unless he makes a remarkable leap, he's unlikely to ever be a starter at Michigan."
In 2018 Brandon Peters (also going into year three) was assessed very differently: "I think some people forget that Peters was only a redshirt freshman in 2017. In ye olden days, he either wouldn’t have been on the field, or people would have expected trouble because he was so young. Now we want kids to grow up immediately when they hit a college campus. Hopefully Peters continues to grow and mature on the trajectory we used to expect from quarterbacks in the 1990s."
https://touch-the-banner.com/2018-season-countdown-32-brandon-peters/
Flip the names and the logic is just as sound/unsound.
If anything, Denegal has a clearer path. Peters at this point was already blocked by Patterson (both were juniors born in 1997) with rumbling that he had also dropped to 3rd string behind the younger McCaffrey during the offseason (which turned out to be true). So behind at least 2 guys who, presumably, would be around for a couple more years.
Denegal's path to a starting job is much clearer, especially to someone skeptical of both Davis and Orji. Tuttle's in his last year and Warren, unless he gets the job, is probably off to grad transfer somewhere also, for all we know.
The big difference here is that one was projected favorably and the other is projected unfavorably.
Given past track record and assessments of the guy lined up to start already maybe statements like this are overly specific:
"if Davis turns into a starter before transferring, Denegal is unlikely to start. "
I mean, OK probably, but when you're consistently off in projecting 2 years out, why bother doing this? You can say if any guy is a starter the other probably won't be and chances are you are right because most guys brought in won't start.
If Warren turns into a starter before transferring, Orji is unlikely to start.
If Orji turns into a starter before transferring, Warren is unlikely to start.
If Carter turns into a starter before transferring, Davis is unlikely to start.
Spin the bottle.
We could have said that about McCarthy and Warren or Milton and McCaffrey or McCaffrey and Peters. Next man up is more often somebody else than consensus expects. Midway through 2017 Brandon Peters was projected as a future multi-year starter -- a year later he had 1 pass attempt on the season and was expected to transfer.
If you get passed over by a younger player, you'll probably transfer. True for everyone, IMO. Favorable bias or unfavorable.
@ Lank 6:07 p.m.
DeleteMilton is a miss for multiple reasons at Michigan. Not only was he replaced as starter midway through the season, but he also had the worst passer rating of any starting quarterback during the Harbaugh era...except John O'Korn, Wilton Speight, and Brandon Peters in 2017.
@ Lank 6:18 p.m.
The significant difference between Peters and Denegal is the prominence of the transfer portal, NIL, etc. Players transfer all the time in 2024 shortly after arriving on campus if they're not getting playing time (D.J. Waller, Cam Calhoun, etc.).
For Peters... this isn't really that different. Remember when you were saying before 2019 that Joe Milton would probably transfer if he didn't pass McCaffrey? Both of them transferred. This was 5 years ago! In the post 6 years ago, Peters was already jumped by a transfer when you wrote the thing ! LOL
DeleteThat was one year after being 3rd string behind a different transfer in 2017. Then he transferred after 2018 to get playing time after the 1st starter in 2017 transferred for playing time after 2017. And that 2017 starter was ALSO blocked by a transfer back in 2015. So - no, this isn't new.
The situation where transfers are common and expected for losers of the playing time battle has not really changed at QB. At Michigan, it's LESS relevant in 2024 than 2018. In 2024 we've got a junior lined up to start who patiently sat behind another HS recruit who beat out another HS recruit before that. We haven't had a transfer start at Michigan since Brandon Peters was here!
Between 2015 and 2019 we transfers start the vast majority of games and since 2019 we've had none.
Let's just be honest here. The REAL difference is you thought Peters was the kind of guy who deserved patience. You believed that he might stick around and deserved time to develop, for whatever reasons. For others you don't offer the same benefit of doubt, including Denegal. It seems these decisions are getting made before guys even hit campus -- Orji and Davis are guys you have speculated about position changes or mentioned transfers on. Other QB recruits have left or changed positions without receiving the same negative speculation.
Speculation is speculation so let's not pretend the difference is objective context. You thought Peters would be good and you don't think Denegal will be. You're certainly not alone. But I think you let your speculation color your analysis. As is the case with Milton, who was a successful college QB and thus not a miss for Harbaugh's evaluation purposes. Which was remains relevant to the projection of Denegal.
@ Lank 6:53 p.m.
DeleteI'm not really sure what the argument is. The loser(s) of the QB battles are likely not going to finish their careers at Michigan. It's rare that a guy is going to exhaust his eligibility at Michigan while sitting on the bench. Jack Tuttle *might* do that if he loses the battle to Orji, but word is that he wants to get into coaching and this might just be an extended opportunity to gain more experience with that end in mind. Plus he's already transferred a couple times.
I'm not even saying anything controversial. Jadyn Davis might transfer. He might not. Odds are that he will, because most quarterbacks do. I don't see him being the QB at Michigan. I also don't see Denegal being the QB at Michigan.
If I'm wrong...oh well.
I had a high grade on Joe Milton until I saw him play in college, and then I thought he would transfer. And he did!
I had a low grade on Jayden Denegal...and I think he will transfer before his career is over. And he might!
Sometimes it seems like you want to play GOTCHA before the full story has played out.
I think a Harbaugh recruitment/endorsement is meaningful evidence and encouraging for Davis. Harbaugh's record isn't perfect but most of the guys he picked out and recruited became starters, at Michigan or elsewhere. They range from great (Mcarthy) to terrible (McCaffrey) but there are very few duds, if you don't count position changes like Gentry against him.
DeleteTo be clear, I agree that Jadyn Davis might transfer. Anyone might. Alex Orji might. Warren Davis might. Carter Smith might.
It's the selective noting of this fact that I think is interesting. And the contrast with when the calls for patience and development are or are not applied. We saw that Peters stunk and Michigan was terrified to throw with him, and yet the call was for patience. We saw Milton was used, BY CHOICE, in meaningful downs early in his career by the coaches and then he struggled in 2020 and you gave up on him even before that because he was inaccurate -- but the SEC and NFL disagreed with you and did not give up on him. Let's not relitigate Joe again though. I'm guessing Davis Warren is going to be spared of the transfer speculation even though he is a senior now and is projected to again be no higher than 3rd or 4th on the depth chart. Because you like pocket passing QBs like Warren Davis.
The only Gotcha is of past assessments of Milton, McCaffrey, and Peters, AFTER they played in college, when we know a lot more, maybe relevant. The gotcha's of past QBs and incorrect projections of them (shared by many/most) could be taken as a lesson learned, about the inherent uncertainty of roster projection, particularly at the QB position and particularly multiple years out.
It's not about predictions being wrong or right, predictions are hard, it's about assuming a prediction is right. And THEN pivoting from that assumption to project stuff years out about the ramifications of that prediction.
There is no GOTCHA here with Davis. It is odd to speculate on a transfer of a guy who will be a freshman this fall. Period.
I disagree with this statement: "Davis would likely have to bide his time for two or three years". I think he'll get to compete pretty quickly.
TO BE CLEAR: That doesn't mean he'll win the job and it doesn't mean he won't transfer. I'm not making a prediction, it just means he'll have a legitimate shot sooner than you think is "likely". Wouldn't you say that Peters, Milton, and McNamara all got shots earlier than was considered "likely"? The depth chart ahead of Davis looks far less impressive at the moment than it did for those guys and like past freshman he'll probably improve faster than all the upperclassmen ahead of him.
If you believe transfers are common and likely then it's likely Davis won't have to wait 2 or 3 years to get his shot. If you believe that Orji and Tuttle are not great QBs and can be passed, well then who is more likely to jump into the fray at some point this season -- the 4 star freshman with a ton of high school accolades, or the 22 year old walk-on who isn't threatening Orji or Tuttle either.
the "let's not relitigate" being sandwiched between attempts to relitigate is ... classic
Delete@ Lank 1:57 p.m.
DeleteHIGH SCHOOL QB RECRUITING UNDER HARBAUGH
2015: Alex Malzone* (miss), Zach Gentry (miss)
2016: Brandon Peters (miss)
2017: Dylan McCaffrey (miss)
2018: Joe Milton (miss)
2019: Cade McNamara (hit)
2020: Dan Villari (miss)
2021: J.J. McCarthy (hit)
2022: Jayden Denegal (???), Alex Orji (???)
2023: N/A
2024: Jadyn Davis (???)
Malzone was a holdover from Brady Hoke, so I can't really give too much credit/blame for that one, but he went hard after Gentry. Otherwise, the only two real "hits" were McNamara - who won a Big Ten Championship and was the starter for about 1.5 seasons - and McCarthy. It's not a recruiting hit/win for Michigan if they recruit somebody who doesn't play/stinks at Michigan and then transfers elsewhere to do well.
Obviously, the jury is still out on several guys who are still on the roster.
Based on those numbers, Davis is more likely to be a miss than a hit.
Furthermore, I don't think you can provide me with one example of a Michigan quarterback who was successful as a pocket passer at his size. Maybe if you go back 60 or 70 years or something, but they were probably playing option football at the time and the guy was a running threat. If Davis wins the starting QB job and holds it, he would be the first 6'0"/6'1" pocket QB in modern Michigan history. The other guys his size have been Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson, etc.
Disagree with your take on hits and misses. Milton is a better QB than McNamara. Period. Peters might be too. McNamara still has time to surpass Peters, but in Milton's case -- he won't.
DeleteMcNamara did not win a Big Ten championship, the University of MIchigan football team did. Dan Villari was also a QB on that team. Pat Massy was a starting DE on a big ten champion team -- doesn't mean he's better than Brandon Graham who played on the worst team of our lifetimes.
Context on Malzone makes him irrelevant IMO.
Gentry became an NFL TE so not a miss IMO.
Everyone after 2020 still has time except JJ.
Biggest miss was McCaffrey. Everyone else became a starter, for Michigan, and elsewhere. So my tally is:
HIT
Peters, Milton, McNamara, McCarthy
MISS
McCaffrey
Everyone else is N/A or TBD.
As for the size concern it's already covered below:
"Drew Brees, Russel Wilson, Kyler Murray, and Bryce Young have made it work without being run threats on par with Denard Robinson" That's off the top of my head I'm sure there's MANY more. Oh you said AT MICHIGAN so then I have to rack my memory to go all the way back to....Cade McNamara, who you and I both categorize as a recruiting hit for Harbaugh. Same height as Davis. You don't have to go back 60 years at all.
This is the kind of logical inconsistencies that you get when you let your bias and predictions dictate your arguments.
Lol, "let's not relitigate"
DeleteJE this is just such a typically short and stupid comment by you. Since you neither have the ability nor the will to understand I'll spell it out for you. The conversation here is about the efficacy of Harbaugh's high school QB recruiting and specifically it's applicability to valuing Jadyn Davis.
DeleteMilton is less than 10% of that by Thunder's tabulation. Mentioning that <10% in context doesn't mean I want to open up the whole debate again or focus on it yet again. It's way more about McNamara anyway given the issue raised about height and since McNamara is neutral ground where Thunder and I both agree he is a "hit" to Harbaugh.
Contrast the optimism and lack of transfer speculation here (after McNamara did zilch on field his freshman year) :
https://touch-the-banner.com/2020-season-countdown-65-cade-mcnamara/
with other QBs at similar points including Davis as a true freshman.
McNamara (listed at 6'1 but shorter) "fits the mold of a Penn State-style QB (shorter, quick release, somewhat mobile) a little better than McCaffrey, Milton, or Villari." while Davis (also 6'1 but a year younger) is "a 6'1" (but probably shorter) pocket quarterback, and that's just a tough thing to do at a place like Michigan with a bunch of 6'6" linemen."
Did anything change about Michigan's linemen in 4 years or our ability to find success with pocket-bound QBs? Well yes - a short QB with no mobility whatsoever started a full season for Michigan and they won the big ten with him and then he was recruited by Iowa to become their starter. So you'd think, if anything, this issue would have flipped from a concern to a non-concern, but no it's the other way around. With McCcaffrey and Milton ahead of him, McNamara's future was bright but with Orji and Denegal ahead of him, Davis maybe a transfer candidate before his first Welcome Week.
@ Lank 7:24 p.m.
DeleteMilton was worse at Michigan than McNamara was. Period. I really don't care what happened/happens at Tennessee, Iowa, etc. That has nothing to do with Michigan.
It's short because it's obvious
Delete"Let's not relitigate" = let lyinlank spew old talking points, but don't expose him to reality: McNamara outplayed your boy on the same team, in the same venues, against the same Defenses. Better stats, better execution of the offense and a Dub that almost wasn't
#caseclosedmeanscaseclosed
What happened with Milton outside of Michigan is very relevant to Harbaugh's ability to assess quarterbacks out of high school. Harbaugh saw a potential NFL QB and that's exactly what he found. Sorry if you want to ignore the inconvenient to your point part, but it's data, and it's meaningful.
Delete2020 was a shit show and that was the defining moment of Milton's Michigan career. He played hurt and the team stunk. He went on to prove he was far better than that. You're ignoring the facts of 2021-2024 that don't line up with what you decided in 2018. Because you so badly want to be right.
You're also ignoring that McNamara also stunk in 2020. But you'll always have the Rutgers game!
Remember Thunder when you doubted the hype on Blake Corum because he only ran for 3 ypc in 2020? How'd that turn out? Similar to Joe Milton?
Maybe, just maybe, context dictates things a lot more than you pretend.
Learn from history or bury your head in the sand.
@JE
Delete2020 QB stats.
Who average more yards per attempt?
Who won more games as a starter?
Whose QBR fell off a cliff after an injury?
Who had the best start of the season by QBR?
Cade came in against Rutgers and outperformed injured Joe. That's the entirety of your case. That's it. One game. Against Rutgers. It's your everything.
Cade and Milton both had bad stats on a bad team. After 2020 -- Milton was the better QB, even though the loaded 2021 Michigan team carried Cade's sorry ass to a conference title.
-----------------------------------------------------------
John O'Korn was excellent in relief duty against Purdue. Looked way better than the injured starter. Maybe I should just ignore everything that happened after that. Not relevant, according to me! OKorn was better than Speight. Better stats, better execution of the offense and a dub that almost wasn't. LOL
@ Lank 4:24 p.m.
DeleteAnd here we are back at Lank's mantra:
"Trust the coaches . . . except when Lank decides the coaches were wrong."
McNamara was better at Michigan than Milton. Jim Harbaugh said so when he replaced Milton with McNamara. Jim Harbaugh knows a hell of a lot more about football than you or me. So he must be right.
Lank: "let's not relitigate"
Deletealso Lank: h3r3's a r3liTigAti0n ...
Your appeal was denied long ago, so stick to your first quote ... but if you're looking for a spanking, I have a few minutes for such an joyous task:
2o2o Stats:
QR Rtg: Milton 124; Cade 134
YPA: Milton 7.6; Cade 6
Milton's best/most impressive throws came at Indiana, a week AFTER the sparty loss ... his booboo is not the reason he sucked
There's only ONE start of the season, so not sure what you're asking? You love to refer to MGoBlog, and their UFR is clear that the (best performance) was Minnesota, when the coaches served him up with easy looks, while anything deep was poorly overthrown
The Rutgers embarrassment was not the only time cade outperformed Joe: you're lying again. Joe was first benched at Wisconsin, after throwing INTs right into Wisconsin defenders, even catching a dude off guard ... Joe came in after cade's injury against pennst, and played scared; he sucked, it wasn't the booboo
Fact is, the coaches had all the stats in front of them, AND they know how to watch the game. They made a decision, and sent Milton packing, with no mention of a thumb booboo as the cause
YOU LOST. Case closed
https://www.espn.com/college-football/team/stats/_/id/130/season/2020
You'll always have Rutgers JE. Joe playing through an injury for half a season yields you a... 9% difference in Passer Rating (you said QBR but you "lied" LOL).
DeleteAnd then you're going to talk about easy looks while highlighting McNamara going 4/7 in garbage time against Wisonsin. LOLOLOL.
Harbaugh made the right call to start Milton over McNamara and he made the right call to replace injured Milton with healthy McNamara. 2020 was a shit show but Michigan never played scared with Joe like they did through most of 2021 with Cade. Trust the coaches.
Harbaugh and Heupel saw the promise of Milton. He delivered and now he's off in the NFL. Is Cade going to match him? Sorry, my bad, I forgot we should only talk about the 2020 Rutgers game.
You're a clown JE. Case Closed!
@Thunder
DeleteWas Joe Milton hurt in 2020 or no?
Was Cade's injury a factor in his horrible performance against PSU in 2020 or no?
https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2020/12/ahead-of-michigans-season-finale-jim-harbaugh-isnt-talking-qb.html
Did Jim Harbaugh replaced injured Jake Rudock with inferior Wilton Speight in 2015 or no?
Trust the coaches. They know more than you.
Harbaugh recruited Milton and started him. Heupal watched him play at Michigan, brought him in at Tennessee, and had him start games over 3 seasons. Then the NFL drafted him to play QB, where he is "seriously impressing" and becoming a fan favorite. But let's move him to DE!
https://atozsports.com/nashville/volunteers/former-tennessee-vols-qb-joe-milton-football-during-patriots-training-camp/
McNamara was more successful at Michigan.
DeleteThe difference between supporting cast in 2020 and 2021 is relevant.
Injuries are relevant.
Milton is clearly a better QB than McNamara.
Milton's success elsewhere is relevant.
McNamara's lack of it is relevant.
Trust the coaches? Indeed and exactly.
One guy earned Jim Harbaugh and Brian Ferentz's faith.
The other earned Jim Harbaugh, Josh Heupel, and NFL scouts' faith.
I'm going to agree to disagree and move on.
DeleteLMAO, "let's not relitigate" ... so easily manipulated!
DeleteAaaand wrong. Joe had a booboo ... he dressed, played and threw in ea contest after. His replacement was based on performance - otherwise, why not battle Cade in 21? Stop with the excuses
"Easy looks" was MGoBlog's take v Minnesota ... Against Wisconsin, Joe three two (ugly) INTS while cade threw a TD. 96 QBR v "6" Cade was better
Yes, Harbaugh made the right call based on CAMP, where QBs are off limits; ditto Huepel ... both realized their mistake and benched Joe
Speaking of the draft, remember when you doubted Joe would get drafted, and then predicted he'd be cut? NOT EVEV YOU AGREE WITH YOU. No principles. No knowledge of the game. Just regurgitating hottakes you see online, despite their contradictions
Don't let the facts get in your way. Remember only Rutgers!
DeleteJoe Milton has dramatically exceeded my expectations <--- true for me in 2020 and even more so in 2024, I'm generally pretty skeptical of big tall QBs with a cannon arm. Comically true for for you two, but you'd rather taste the sand than admit how wrong you are. mmmmm sand.
*and Wisconsin ...
Delete*and PennSt
Sent away, BENCHED for the short unathletic noodle arm who could at least read a Defense
Oh, were done relitigating? Now it's about "your expectations" .... haha, I won't bother with that!
#caseclosed
I remember Penn State. Cade started and stunk! I don't see much reading of defense.
DeleteI remember Wisconsin. Cade came in and garbage time. What a hero!
I remember Minnesota where Joe thrived.
Selective memory is fun.
You're grasping at straws and lying to yourself but convince no one. With is Orange Bowl MVP trophy, top 25 team starter resume, Joe says high from the NFL.
I say Bye!
You brought up QBR ... what was the QBR in those three games?
DeleteTD passes?
INTs?
Final score?
Offensive production?
It wasn't just Rutgers Lank, but here's your chance to dodge
mY eXpEcTaTi0nS
DeleteLMAO, still
Man I'm surprised to hear such a confident dismissal of Davis.
ReplyDelete"Davis would likely have to bide his time for two or three years before having a legitimate shot to play."
On one hand, I get the skepticism. He played at a powerhouse school surrounded by elite talent and he'll already be 19 before starting his freshman year and he's not even considered a real contender to start with a fairly mediocre seeming cast of candidates in 2024.
But...he's not even a freshman yet! And he's gotten nothing but praise from the staff and was highly successful in high school. If one is skeptical of Orji as the answer at starting QB, I would think that would elevate the other contenders. Which currently include a 22 year old walk-on who is lagging behind a 25 year old with a "forgettable" 6-year career to this point (at 3 schools).
I get the concerns about height to some degree but people like Drew Brees, Russel Wilson, Kyler Murray, and Bryce Young have made it work without being run threats on par with Denard Robinson. It seems like accuracy and mental processing are the key traits for a QB to be excellent, not anything physical like speed, height, or arm strength.
I'm not ruling Davis out yet. Like Orji, he should be improving more than the geriatrics ahead of him right now, and he's probably a more dynamic passer than Orji. If Orji is the disaster some people think he will be, Davis might be the favorite to start in 2025.