Scouting 4-Star Ole Miss Football Commitment Chris Davis
Ole Miss is not only heating up on the recruiting trail, in general, for the class of 2024.
It's heating up within state lines.
In a loaded year within Mississippi, the Rebels added their third in-state pledge to date on Thursday evening with the verbal commitment of Picayune (Miss.) Memorial running back Chris Davis.
The Rebels earned the pledge from the state champion back amid is recruiting rise beyond the SEC footprint. Davis has been offered by Texas A&M, Stanford, Louisville and UCF since the start of February. In January, Auburn, Arkansas, South Carolina, Georgia Tech and others jumped in.
Ole Miss has been steady with Davis since offering just under one year ago, in late March 2022. Coordinator of Recruiting Strategy Kelvin Bolden built a relationship with Davis over that time and returned running back coach Kevin Smith helped to wrap up the recruitment for his first new pledge for the Rebels since landing Quinshon Judkins two cycles ago.
Last cycle, Ole Miss brought in Kedrick Reescano out of Texas, whose style is much more similar to that of Judkins than Davis. The newest, and youngest back in the way-too-early 2024 stable, is slightly built (though muscular) compared to the breakout star in Judkins and the freshman-to-be Reescano. He lists himself at 6-foot, 180 pounds while recruiting outlets vary between 5-foot-9 (247Sports, ESPN) and taller (On3, Rivals).
Either way, Davis has a more modern and/or versatile frame compared to what Rebel fans have seen on the field of late -- and it's a good thing. That variance presents a different issue to defenses, a well-rounded skillset Davis has only enhanced at Picayune Memorial having split carries with Oregon signee Dante Dowdell.
Davis of course worked as a downhill running back who could also excel outside of the box even in a no-nonsense approach. While Dowdell commanded attention, Davis would also work off the football or even as a primary pass-catcher while working on the field together -- more the skill set of a true offensive weapon than a pure running back. Thinking in lofty fashion, think Deebo Samuel at the NFL level or maybe even a Tank Dell collegiately.
As a runner, Davis has great burst and presses the hole like a bigger back relying on power would. Combined with vision and crafty instincts in tight spaces, he adds the ability to fit a tight crease to find daylight. Despite the frame, he doesn't go against the grain just because presenting a more-than-willing effort to play patiently behind a pulling lineman or even in allowing the play to develop. '
When it is time to come back, though, Davis shines as a potential homerun threat who can beat tacklers with an angle or even outrun secondary prospects in space. This element of his game is also evident after the catch as a receiver and certainly when being utilized as a punt and/or kick returner. All of the balance shows up in his game with big plays evident in his rushing stat line, per MaxPreps, as Davis ran 122 times for 1,078 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 8.8 yards per carry in the process. He found the end zone 17 on the ground times as a sophomore.
Don't allow a lack of perceived size to fool, Davis isn't easy to contain in space or in the muck. He runs with great contact balance and can shift his weight on a moment's notice, limiting the target area for opponents to be able to strike. It doubles his effectiveness as a wide receiver after the catch much like when he works in the return game, where all the skills seemingly come together evidenced by a handful of return game scores in 2022.
There are plenty of additional strengths present in Davis' game, from his lateral ability, efficiency towards top speed and sudden change of direction. As he adds mass and balances out his game more as a blocker, the newest Rebel should project as a true, modern three-down back that is a threat to score any time he touches the football.
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