SIGNING DAY PREVIEW: Linebacker Jamin Davis
Cats Illustrated isn't waiting until National Signing Day to get you ready for all the action. We're rolling out Signing Day content all week.
In our new Signing Day Preview series we'll profile every single one of Kentucky's 2017 early enrollees as well as those who won't be signing until Wednesday.
STATUS: Already enrolled.
RESUME: Davis was one of the most productive linebackers in Georgia during his senior season in 2016. Long County finished a forgettable 1-6-2 as a team, but Davis had 126 tackles and four tackles for loss. He also had 11 carries for 50 yards and caught 12 passes for 151 yards.
RECRUITING HISTORY: Kentucky was one of the first schools to make a hard push for Davis early last year and the Cats were rewarded with an early commitment in March. Recruiting did not slow down for the Georgia linebacker, however, and in subsequent months he picked up offers from the likes of NC State, Louisville, Purdue, UCF and others. Davis never seemed to seriously entertain the idea of backing out of his commitment, however, and he stayed loyal through the time of his early signing and enrollment.
SCOUTING REPORT: Davis plays the game with a tremendous motor and he plays very fast as well. He has excellent closing speed, should be a quality player in coverage over the middle and in the flats, can shoot the gaps and levels an impressive amount of force upon impact. He has good tackling form. The big issue facing Davis is the need to get bigger. He's probably around 190-195 pounds, and while the coaches believe he can get to 210 or so by the start of the 2017 season, he'll need to really work on his weight and strength training.
CATS ILLUSTRATED PROJECTION: Davis has the speed, the instincts and the football intelligence to be a starting linebacker in the SEC. Fortunately for him, and for Kentucky, he doesn't need to play right away. He can bide his time, redshirt, probably spend another year working his way onto the field on special teams units, and then compete for depth chart time. But he's a very good prospect and is a legitimate starter candidate down the road.
| Size | Speed | Coverage | Strength | Pass Rush | Instincts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6/10 |
8/10 |
7/10 |
6.5/10 |
6/10 |
10/10 |
MORE JAMIN DAVIS COVERAGE AT CATS ILLUSTRATED
Q&A: Jamin Davis covers a range of topics with Cats Illustrated
