Elite 4-Star Tight End Picks New Leader as Recruiting Battle Heats Up

An up and coming tight end prospect in the 2027 college football recruiting class is starting to build some steam as he approaches his final commitment decision, and now one powerhouse program appears to have separated from the pack.

Four-star Westlake Village (Calif.) tight end Charles Davis has revealed that a local program has emerged as his current favorite, even with two other notable schools still very much involved in looking to pull him to their respective sides.

Who’s the favorite?

Right now, that appears to be USC, a place Davis admitted already feels very familiar.

“It was my first time up there, and it definitely felt like home,” he told Rivals of the visit he took to the Trojans last week.

USC coaches told Davis that he reminds them of wideout Ja’Kobi Lane, and even noted that, like him, they could see the tight end moving over to the wide receiver position.

Lincoln Riley and the Trojans signed the consensus No. 1 recruiting class in 2026, boasting two five-stars among its 35 commitments, and they rank just outside the top dozen in the 2027 cycle, with two of its four pledges being wide receiver targets.

Trojans’ rival a team to watch

USC might be considered the favorite right now, but its old Pac-12, and current Big Ten, nemesis is also a legitimate threat for the tight end.

Oregon is “right there in second place” for Davis as he considers a final decision, according to Rivals recruiting insider Adam Gorney.

The consensus No. 10 recruiting class in the 2027 cycle according to an average of the national services, the Ducks are yet to earn the pledge of a tight end.

“It feels like it’s the place to be,” Davis said of Oregon, where he’s visited multiple times, and with whom he remains, in his words, “in heavy communication.”

CFP runner up in the mix

Miami is the last of the top three for Davis, coming off a narrow loss to Indiana in the national championship game this past season.

Ranked seventh in the national recruiting standings for 2027, the Hurricanes boast five commitments, including two blue-chip skill threats in No. 6 wide receiver Nick Lennear and No. 31 wideout Ah’Mari Stevens.

That group includes one tight end, the four-star No. 14 ranked Demarcus Deroche out of Fort Lauderdale, who committed to the Canes last August.

How Davis ranks as a prospect

The tight end has long been considered one of the 35 best prospects in the state of California and rates among the better players at his position nationally.

Davis is rated as the No. 22 tight end in the country and the No. 32 ranked player in California, according to an industry weighted average of the national recruiting services.

That average marks Davis as a consensus four-star recruit.

247Sports is even higher on the player, naming him as the No. 10 tight end prospect in the country and the 19th best player in the Golden State.

What he’s done on the field

Davis has covered over 1,000 total yards over the last two varsity seasons at Westlake Village and is coming off his best performance this past fall.

Last season, Davis hauled in 30 receptions for 526 total yards while averaging nearly 18 yards per catch and scoring a personal best 11 touchdowns.

The year prior, the tight end had 503 yards receiving off 39 catches while posting nearly 56 yards per game on average with 2 touchdown grabs.

In total, Davis has 1,029 receiving yards from 69 catches while averaging almost 15 yards per reception and 13 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.

(Rivals)