UCLA Football Top 30 Players: No. 21
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UCLA Football has seen major turnover across the roster and coaching staff. Last year, UCLA finished the season with a 3-9 record and fired DeShaun Foster three games into his second season as the head coach.
Continuing with our list of the top 30 players heading into next season, we have already looked at one player along the offensive line in Julian Armella. Armella is a player in contention to start for the Bruins next year at interior offensive line.
Now, for No. 21 on the list, let's look at a player who, instead of being at one of the guard spots, will be at one of the tackle spots, in Jordan Davis.
Jordan Davis Out of High School
Coming out of Creekside High School in Fairburn, Georgia, Davis was not a highly touted prospect out of the 2021 high school recruiting class.
Davis would be a big part of the Seminoles' success, as they went 7-3 in 2020 and advanced to the second round of the Georgia AAAAA state playoffs. Davis would also be named to the AJC's 5A Preseason All-State Team in his senior season.
Davis was ranked outside the top 1,000 players in the 2021 high school class, 1,491st overall, according to 247Sports. In a competitive football state like Georgia, he was ranked 141st in the state and 124th among offensive tackles in the 2021 class.
Because Davis was an overlooked player coming out of high school, he didn't receive many offers. Davis would have scholarship offers from hometown schools such as Georgia and Georgia Tech, as well as LSU, but they weren't recruiting him heavily. Davis would also get multiple mid-major offers from schools such as Kent State, Akron, Georgia State, and Murray State.
It would be a silent recruitment until South Carolina would send an official offer, and just two days later, he would commit to the Gamecocks and enroll.
Davis at South Carolina
Davis would enroll early at South Carolina in January and would get an early head start in his practice with the team, as he would mostly practice with the scout team. Heading into his first season, all the practice and knowledge that he learned from the Gamecocks' coaching staff would help him see the field.
During the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Davis wouldn't see any playing time at South Carolina, even as the Gamecocks finished the year 7-6 and won the Duke's Mayo Bowl. He still couldn't find any playing time, even though he could've played in four games and still kept his redshirt year.
In his second year in college football, Davis still couldn't see any playing time with the Gamecocks. Davis was an improved player, yet he still could not find playing time on the offensive line.
With not playing a single snap in his two years with the Gamecocks, Davis decided to enter the transfer portal, seeking a place where he could just play football without having to wait behind anyone. Davis would ultimately end up at South Alabama and would find immediate playing time along their offensive line.
Davis at South Alabama
In his first year with the Jaguars, Davis would see much more of the field, playing in 11 of their games. The Jaguars finished their season with a 7-6 record and won their bowl game against Eastern Michigan 59-10. Throughout the year, Davis was a consistent left tackle, starting in nine of the 11 games he played, and allowed 2.8 sacks per game.
His second year with the Jaguars was much better. Davis would start in all 13 games of the season and would be a huge impact player. Davis would improve as a pass blocker for South Alabama, allowing just one sack per game.
Davis, overall, would be one of the better players on the Jaguars roster during his second season. With the help of Davis, the Jaguars would set multiple records as a program: in touchdowns with 57, total points with 447, rushing touchdowns with 32, rushing yards with 2,580, and total offense with 5,743.
South Alabama, even with all the success on offense, the defense would not be at the same level, and they would finish with a record of 6-6 in the regular season and once again win their bowl game, this time in a close game against Western Michigan with a 30-23 final score.
His third year with the program would be even better in both pass and run blocking. Davis would turn into arguably one of the better players in the Sun Belt Conference. His pass and run blocking skills would be on an elite level, as he would be a key piece to the Jaguars' running attack. South Alabama would establish itself as a top 20 rushing attack in all of college football.
However, Davis would play and start in only eight games after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury during the Jaguars' pregame warmups in their match against Louisiana. After the injury, the Jaguars would lose two of their remaining four games and finish with a 4-8 record.
Seeing his stock rise dramatically, Davis would enter the transfer portal and land in one of the top conferences in college football, and join a former Sun Belt head coach at UCLA.
What Davis Brings to the Bruins
Bob Chesney is the new head coach for UCLA football and has begun rebuilding the offensive line. The offensive line last year was one of the worst in college football at protecting the quarterback and in run blocking.
Throughout his time in South Alabama, Davis has shown great athleticism and physicality, with his 6-4, 324-pound frame. Davis is a good pass blocker but excels in the running game.
The left tackle position was a big problem last year. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava was sacked 27 times last season, partly because his blindside blocker was being pushed around. With Davis now at Left tackle, Iamaleava will be much more protected.
Chesney also uses the running game more often, and having a strong, athletic left tackle in Davis will allow whoever is running the football to get out to the outside and find some space for major yards.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as UCLA Football Top 30 Players: No. 21.
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