Clemson was well-represented on the Lombardi watch list released earlier this week. Jordan McFadden, Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy and Trenton Simpson were among those who made the cut for the award that annually goes to the best lineman in college football.
There was also one Tiger omitted that caught the attention of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.
“I promise you them coaches who watch the tape, they know who Tyler Davis is,” Swinney said, referring to Bresee’s running mate at defensive tackle. “He’s as good of a player as we’ve got. A pure football player. Those (NFL) scouts know about him, too. So I don’t know about all these watch lists and how all of that stuff is done. If there’s a list out there and he ain’t on it, he’s a problem.”
Recognition or not, Davis is one of the handful of defensive linemen on Clemson’s roster that figures to hear his name called when next year’s NFL Draft rolls around. He doesn’t have gaudy stats as an interior lineman. The 6-foot-1, 300-pound senior had 95 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in his first three seasons with the Tigers and has added 13 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss in five games this season.
But Swinney said Davis has been about consistent as they come since breaking into the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2019. Davis’ on-field talent coupled with his sawed-off stature remind his coach of another player Swinney coached at the position, Grady Jarrett, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Atlanta Falcons during the offseason after being drafted in the fifth round by the team in 2015.
“He’s a little taller than Grady, which he takes a lot of pride in that,” Swinney said of Davis. “Grady’s short. That’s why he went in the fifth round. Short. Short arms. Everybody knocked Grady for everything, but the guy makes about $35 million a year for a reason. He’s just unblockable. He’s just relentless, and he’s so technically sound.
“Tyler has all those intangibles. He’s a little bigger, so maybe somebody will take him before the fifth round. They’re crazy if they don’t. But I said the same thing about Grady, so I don’t know. But I know this: Wherever he goes, he’ll be on that field quick because he’s just a baller. Just a great, great player.”
Off the field, Swinney said Davis reminds him of another one of his former players, Dexter Lawrence, one of the three first-round picks off the Tigers’ defensive line during their 2018 run to the national championship. That has as much to do with Davis’ soften-spoken nature and warm personality as much as it does playing the same position as Lawrence, who’s now starring for the New York Giants.
“(Davis) is very unassuming. Great sense of humor,” Swinney said. “I call him Baby Dex because that’s really who he reminds me of. He’s kind of got that presence to him with the way Dex handled himself. But he’s a handful. He really is.”
Davis doesn’t need any accolades for Swinney to know how important he is to the middle of the Tigers’ defense. He’s just trying to enjoy Davis’ presence at Clemson while he can before Davis joins those who came before him at the next level.
“Fundamentally sound. Technically sound. Relentless with his effort,” Swinney said. “You just know what you’ve got in him every day, and there’s a lot of value in that. He’s a really good player. He’s hard to block. He’s got great instincts. He gets off blocks. He’s got excellent fundamentals for his position. Great foot speed, really good change of direction and a good pass rusher.
“He can do it all. He’s a true, complete player at his position.”
Dear Old Clemson has added the Tiger Sack Pack to our online store. Save by getting the Two Pack of signed cards from two of the nation’s top defensive ends, Myles Murphy and Xavier Thomas.
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