Texas Football: 2021 West Coast DB High on Longhorns
California cornerback Jaylin Davies recently released his list of top seven schools and Texas made the cut.
The Longhorns were on the list along with Ohio State, Arizona State, USC, UCLA, Alabama and Washington.
He is the No. 11 cornerback, No. 12 player in California and No. 111 overall prospect in the 2021 class according to 247Sports.
Watching his film: Davies has a natural ability to position himself between the ball and the receiver he is covering. While some of that comes from good coaching at an elite high school program, there are some of those plays on film that come from great instincts. While he isn't as flat-out fast (4.69 40-yard dash) as some of the other elite cornerback prospects, his quick burst and body positioning allow him to keep up with players who may be able to beat him in a foot race. While he looks most at home playing man-to-man coverage, his film also shows his ability to play zone. Davies run-support skills also stand out. He always seems to be taking good angles to the ball and cutting off plays. In an era where so many plays are designed to isolate defenders, it's important to have players who can tackle in space.
Where Texas stands: Texas was late to the game when it came to offering Davies. The Longhorns didn't do so until Feb. 9 of this year while schools like Alabama and UCLA have had offers on the table since last summer. The Longhorns have clearly made up some ground with their new staff, impressing enough to make the Davies' cut. I know I sound like a broken record here when it comes to recruiting coverage, but there are a lot of moving parts and complications thanks to COVID-19. Visits being put on hold means Texas will have to wait it out in the race to get Davies on campus.
