Oregon Beats Out Ohio State and Others to Land Four-Star DB Jaylin Davies
One of the better cornerbacks in the class of 2021 decided to pass on Ohio State Friday afternoon, as four-star Jaylin Davies (Santa Anita, Calif./Mater Dei) opted to stay on the west coast and play his college football at Oregon.
Davies, rated as the No. 12 cornerback and 129th player nationally in the latest 247Sports industry rankings, chose the Ducks from a final list that also included Ohio State, Arizona State and USC. Oddly enough, Oregon was left out of his top seven back in March but made up serious ground after cornerbacks coach Rod Chance stepped in to take the lead.
Davies, standing 6-1 and weighing roughly 170 pounds, currently plays for one of the powerhouse high school programs across the nation in Mater Dei. The speedster has already clocked a sub 4.70 in the 40-yard dash at various regionals.
Ohio State defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs had become heavily involved in recruiting Davies after quarterbacks coach Cory Dennis also traveled to California this past winter. He also had multiple conversations with head coach Ryan Day, who presented a virtual tour but was never able to get Davies on campus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The secondary prowess in this 2021 class is certainly not lacking for Ohio State, which recently signed defensive back Denzel Burke out of Arizona to go with Jakailin Johnson, Devonta Smith and safety Andre Turrentine. The Buckeyes also still have a shot at top-20 prospect Tony Grimes, the No. 2-rated DB who currently has OSU in his top-four schools.
This decision from Davies helps Oregon jump Michigan and Florida in the 247 composite team rankings, as the Ducks now hold the sixth-best recruiting class for 2021 and sit one spot shy from PAC-12 rival USC.
Ohio State and Oregon are about to embark on a home-and-home series in non-conference play this season, with the Buckeyes traveling to Eugene this fall before the schools meet in Columbus come 2021.
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