Tag: Dematrius Davis

Former Auburn quarterback reveals transfer destination

Former Tigers quarterback Dematrius Davis is staying in-state.

A former Auburn quarterback is staying in-state.

[autotag]Dematrius Davis[/autotag], who recently announced his intention to enter the transfer portal late last month, has found a home at Alabama State. Davis was set to enter Auburn’s quarterback competition this spring before transferring out of the program.

Davis’ decision to attend a Historically Black College or University, or an HBCU, is not unprecedented. More higher-ranked recruits have made decisions to attend HBCUs in recent years, with five-star cornerback Travis Hunter committing to Jackson State to play for Deion Sanders and, on the basketball side, five-star center Markur Maker committing to play for Howard University in 2020.

Davis himself was four-star recruit coming out of high school in Texas, where he was the 24th ranked quarterback and 35th ranked Texan in the 2021 class. Davis didn’t play for Auburn last year, and he was expected to be in the mix in the Tigers’ quarterback battle this spring before leaving the Plains. Davis was the winningest quarterback in Texas high school history when he signed on to play for Alabama at the end of 2020.

With the commitment, Alabama State will get the highest recruit it has ever signed in school history. Davis will try to lead the Hornets to a better record than they managed last year when they finished 5-6 in the SWAC and lost to the Auburn Tigers in a 62-0 shutout.

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Auburn quarterback Dematrius Davis has entered the transfer portal

The quarterback room has one less participant as Dematrius Davis has put his name in the transfer portal.

The quarterback competition has been one of the must-watch battles in college football. One of the guys that were hoping for a legit shot at the job is redshirt freshman Dematrius Davis. However, he decided that he would take his name out of the competition on Wednesday.

Davis announced the move on his Twitter account. “To all NCAA FB coaches… if you believe in me. come get me.”

Davis was among five quarterbacks competing for the starting job with Zach Calzada, T.J. Finley, Robby Ashford, and incoming freshman Holden Geriner. The message he shared felt like an indictment on the staff or at least Davis didn’t believe that he was getting a fair shake at the starting job.

Either way, Davis becomes the first to put his name into the transfer portal since spring football has begun. Last year Auburn was on the receiving end of such a move when Finley left LSU for the Tigers.

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Spring Preview: A look at the Auburn quarterback battle

This is going to be an intense position battle.

For the second straight season, Auburn will have a spring quarterback competition.

Auburn has five scholarship quarterbacks on the roster and to varying degrees, each can make an argument as to why they should win the job. Adding even more credence to this being a wide-open battle, Auburn has added three quarterbacks this offseason in Zach Calzada, Robby Ashford, and Holden Geriner.

This will be an interesting battle to watch and without an offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach, this race could change depending on who is hired.

The sooner that the Bryan Harsin situation is finally put to rest the team can move forward towards the spring. They also have to address plenty of coaching positions such as who is calling the plays and what offense they will run.

Before any of that is addressed, we preview the quarterbacks.

Is Bo Nix going to be the starter against Akron?

Is it no longer Bo Time?

Is it no longer Bo Time?

Nix has reportedly been struggling in each of Auburn’s fall scrimmages and might be falling behind in camp. TJ Finley has reportedly looked more accurate and not as mistake-prone as Nix. Demetris Davis did not participate in the second scrimmage, but he was one of the few bright spots offensively in the first.

Could we possibly see Finley or Davis starting Week 1?

Lindsay Crosby of Newstalk WANI joined Zac Blackerby on the “Locked on Auburn” podcast to share his opinion on Bo Nix’s future at Auburn.

With as much change as they have put into this offense, as far as completely changing how we do things, and not changing the offensive line personnel, I think that means (the coaching staff) understands that Bo’s mobility gives us the best chance to win. He’s been on campus and around these coaches a lot more than TJ Finley. He’s had a lot more opportunities to learn the playbook. Now, am I 100% sure that Bo will finish the season as the starter? No. I’m not. I can see a possibility where through poor performance (from Nix), TJ Finley takes over. I think one way or another, this is the final season that Bo Nix starts at Auburn.

If he has a really good to great season, obviously he goes pro. But if he has just an “OK” season, I think we’re going to see some sort of change made in the offseason because I don’t think Bryan Harsin is going to accept “just OK” out of a third-year quarterback in the SEC. One way or another, this is the last season he starts for Auburn.

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2021 Auburn football player profile, overview: No. 18 Dematrius Davis

Auburn freshman Dematrius Davis might be the face of the program in years to come at the quarterback position.

Name: Dematrius Davis

Number: 18

Position: Quarterback

Class: Freshman

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 202 lbs

Hometown: Houston, Texas

High School: North Shore

Twitter: @Dematrius09

Overview:

A four-star quarterback out of Texas, Davis is an accurate passer while also having the ability to run the ball with authority.

Here’s 247Sports scouting report on Davis:

Undersized from a height standpoint but stout build with the look of a running back. Absolute gamer. Highly-decorated TXHSFB star for one of the nation’s top programs. Generally accurate passer with numbers to support. Outstanding passing production with solid rushing numbers as a sophomore turned into good passing stats with terrific run numbers as a junior as role evolved. Two-time state title-winner going for his third in a row as a senior. Rare volume of big-game, high-leverage experience against elite high school competition. Intangibles are clear in those situations. Good off-schedule playmaker because of functional athleticism and awareness. Feels pressure pretty well in the pocket and is light on his feet and agile. Regularly makes first rusher miss. Creative playmaker who can improve consistency with short-to-intermediate velocity. Accurate on downfield throws outside the numbers, but consistency can get better to the short perimeter. Needs to stay on top of the ball better. Underwhelmed in elite camp settings next to other top QB’s. Physical ceiling is limited. Type of player who creates many differing opinions on long-term potential. May not be a workout warrior, but is an unquestioned on-field leader and elite high school player with the trophy case to prove it. Flat-out football player who’s not afraid of the moment. Projects to the high-major level with multi-year starter capability and perhaps could play beyond college.

Armani Goodwin, Dematrius Davis part of SI’s All-Decommit Offensive Team

Sports Illustrated has listed three players, two who signed with Auburn and one who decommitted, to their All-Decommit offensive Team.

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The minds of teenagers are a strange place and that definitely comes in hand when a high school football player is undergoing the recruiting process.

Minds are made up then changed and then changed again. Last-minute decisions are sometimes made with fan bases just waiting to hear their school’s name called.

Auburn was on both sides of that during the 2021 recruiting cycle as the Tigers won and lost some commits seemingly at the last minute.

One player that the Tigers held onto after he was previously committed to Virginia Tech is 4-star quarterback Dematrius Davis out of Houston. The eighth-ranked dual quarterback in the 2021 class signed with Auburn despite the coaching change on Dec. 16 and enrolled early.

The Tigers’ firing of Gus Malzahn seemingly cost them 5-star running back Armani Goodwin who ended up signing with SEC West rival LSU.

From SI.com’s All-Decommit Offensive Team piece:

For Goodwin, a longtime Auburn commitment from within state lines, the change was initiated by the program moving on from Gus Malzahn after the 2020 season. Several programs made a run at the SI99 back, who just set the indoor 60-meter dash record in Class 7A, but LSU won out in the end.

Landen King, a 3-star tight end from Texas that signed with the Tigers instead of the home-state Longhorns is mentioned as well int he article as one of the under consideration players for the team.

WATCH: Auburn signee Dematrius Davis breaks loose for incredible touchdown run

WATCH: Auburn signee Dematrius Davis breaks loose for incredible touchdown run against Austin Westlake in the Texas 6A semifinals.

Auburn signee Dematrius Davis reminded everyone why he is one of the most electric dual-threat quarterbacks in the class of 2021 against Austin Westlake in the Texas 6A semifinals on Saturday afternoon.

Down by 10 late in the third quarter against Austin Westlake, Davis broke loose for an incredible 50-yard touchdown run in which he made multiple defenders miss in the open field. The score cut North Shore’s deficit to 17-14, where it currently stands in the fourth quarter.

Davis has led North Shore to a top-five ranking in the USA Today Super 25 this season, but its season is currently in peril. Knowing Davis’s flair for the dramatics, though, it’s safe to assume he could have something up his sleeve to propel North Shore back out in front before the clock hits triple zeroes on its 2020 season.

Reactions to Auburn’s Early Signing Day

Twitter wasn’t exactly happy with how Auburn’s 2021 signing class has turned out so far on the first day of the Early Signing Period.

Things today were certainly interesting. The good news is that Auburn managed to sign 12 commits today. The bad news is that the Tigers’ 2021 recruiting class is currently ranked 46th overall nationally. The Tigers have not fallen below the top 25 in recruiting since 2003. Luckily they have plenty of more time to improve before February 3rd.

Early Signing Day is always exciting, especially when it falls on day three of Auburn fans begging the question, “Who is Auburn even going to hire to coach these guys next year?”

Head coaching chaos aside, today was still an exciting day for Auburn fans and future players. I know I’m looking forward to watching each of these guys play in orange and blue. It takes a lot of courage for these young men to sign when the future of a program is uncertain, but hey, that’s when you know these guys love Auburn and are coming for the right reasons.

Let’s get into the reactions from today:

Sad news in addition to this, but redshirt freshman RB Mark Antony Richards has entered the transfer portal. It’s a depressing feeling to see depth leaving at a time like this. We wish him nothing but the best.

Today was not ideal by any means, but these young guys are the future. Take a deep breath, remain calm, and pray that Auburn’s decision makers find the right guy who can build upon this recruiting class, find some offensive linemen and linebackers, and coach these guys up to the standard of Auburn football that we all know and love.

Looking at the 2021 Auburn recruiting class ahead of the Early Signing Period

Auburn’s 2021 class is small so far but the Tigers have the chance to sign some big talent in the Early Signing Period.

With the Dec. 16 early signing period just more than a week away it is time to take a closer look at the 2021 recruiting class and see what could be in store for the Tigers.

The Tigers currently have the No. 42 recruiting class in the country according to the 247Sports Composite. The class ranks 11th in the SEC and is currently behind Kentucky and just ahead of Vanderbilt.

 The class plummeted nearly 20 spots after the decommitment of running back Amari Goodwin.

Under Gus Malzahn Auburn has never finished below 12th nationally and all but twice (2018 and 2019) have finished outside the top 10.

While it would seem that the Tigers would be hard pressed to finish inside the top 10, the class still has several elite recruits.

Here is a look at everything you need to know about the 2021 Auburn recruiting class

Total commits: 12

One of the biggest factors in the Tigers low ranking is the size of their class, as Auburn’s 12 commits are the second fewest in the SEC. Alabama, Georgia and LSU – the top 3 classes in the SEC – have at least 20 commits.

Last commitment: 3-star receiver Hal Presley on Nov. 11.

Spots to fill: This number is hard to know. With 2020 not counting against a player’s eligibility and it being unknown how that will affect the amount of scholarship players a program can have on the roster. The NCAA also created a one-time transfer exception for the 2020–21 legislative cycle, which will likely make the transfer market more active.

Class Ranking: 42nd nationally, 11th in SEC

The Tigers lead just Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and South Carolina in the SEC and trail Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Virginia and Iowa in overall ranking.

AVERAGE RATING PER COMMIT: 89.23

The rating is just below the 90.00 threshold to be considered a 4-star and ranks 15th nationally.

Decommits:

  • 4-star running back Amari Goodwin, uncommitted
  • 4-star quarterback Aaron McLaughlin, NC State
  • 4-star offensive tackle Caleb Johnson, Notre Dame
  • 3-star offensive tackle J’Marion Gooch, Tennessee

Now, here’s an overview of each position

Auburn Recruiting: Dematrius Davis ends regular season with huge game

Auburn recruiting may be in a rough place for 2021 but QB commit Dematrius Davis has had an impressive senior season.

The 2020 regular season ended the same way it starter for Dematrius Davis: with a dominant performance.

The 4-star quarterback has had a high school career for the ages, winning Texas 6A D-1 state titles as a sophomore and junior and is well on the way to winning his third in as many years.

After a 63-14 victoty over Atascocita (and fellow Auburn commit Landen King) he now has a 47-2 starter as a starter in the highest level of football in Texas.

With high school football coming to a close in most states only a few Auburn commits are still in action, and here’s a look at how they performed.