Kentucky Wildcat Football Recruiting: The Jon Davis Saga

With the whirlwind of news that came and went yesterday, it’s becoming clear that the recruitment of Jon Davis is going to be one for the ages. He’s officially set an announcement date for February 2nd on National Signing Day, and thankfully this is likely to be the end of the saga. For those not completely caught up, here’s a recap.

Davis first stood out as a sophomore at Louisville Eastern high school, where he finished the year with 10 rushing touchdowns and 7 receptions that went for scores. After the season, the junior-to-be stood out in the camp and combine circuit. He excelled everywhere he went and the only problem any coach or scout could find with him was exactly what position to play him at. He showed the type of athleticism rarely seen for a player his size and began to really see his stock rise.

Kentucky coach Joker Phillips (head coach of the offense at the time) began recruiting Jon as early as he was allowed to per NCAA rules. Phillips began to build a strong relationship with Davis and his family and explained that his vision of Jon’s future with UK was something similar to the role former cat Jacob Tamme had with the team. The Davis family put together a list of 16 factors that would play heavily into Jon’s decision.

After a junior season that saw his production dip a bit down to 40 carries for 163 yards with one rushing touchdown and 29 catches for 285 yards and 4 touchdowns, Kentucky offered him a scholarship anyway. Jon’s father Reggie said that Kentucky fit the family’s list of factors, and on December 11 of 2009, Davis accepted the offer and become the first commitment of the 2011 class and the first commitment of the Joker Phillips era.

Over the following summer, Oregon, Louisville, Illinois, and Cincinnati made it clear that they would continue to pursue Davis to no avail. At every opportunity, the Davis family told anyone that would listen that they were firmly committed to Kentucky. Jon himself raved about Joker and the relationship they had formed. He made statements about how Joker had become a father-figure to him and how he couldn’t imagine playing for anyone else.

Fast forwarding to the fall of 2010, Davis took the term “stand-out” to a new level. He finished up his senior season with 943 yards rushing, 334 yards receiving and 16 total touchdowns. Davis ability to average 5.5 yards a carry and 14 yards per catch while facing the top level of talent in the state of Kentucky caught some attention and Oregon invited him to tour their campus in November. Coach Phillips allowed Jon to take the visit and explained that he wanted the Davis family to be sure about their decision to pick Kentucky. After returning from the visit, reports surfaced that Davis was amazed by Oregon’s glitz and glamour, but intended to stick with Phillips and the Wildcats.

Where it really gets interesting is when we arrive at the month of December in 2010. Almost out of the blue, news surface that Jon had become concerned about the number of tight ends on Kentucky’s roster. Other schools had not given up on Jon and were really kicking into gear with National Signing Day less than two months away. Louisville began to come on strong and Illinois stepped their game up as well. Despite the Cardinal-loving media machine in Louisville questioning Davis’ commitment to Kentucky, the family said they were still on board, but that they wanted to check out Illinois and Louisville because they didn’t want Jon to make an uninformed decision and regret it later. When asked about his status, Davis’ father Reggie maintained that his son was committed to Kentucky and he was just going to check out the other schools. He said he didn’t know what Jon would find out about either that he didn’t already know. He also indicated that regardless of anything that happened on Jon’s other visits, Joker would get a final chance to convince him to stay with the Wildcats.

In January, Davis commitment to Kentucky was switched by most websites to a “soft” verbal. Kentucky received a commitment from Alvin Dupree in mid January, and despite being listed as a tight end by most every recruiting service, Dupree indicated that Kentucky had recruited and offered him as a defensive end. After being contacted, Reggie Davis said that the move by Kentucky to add another tight end had taken Jon by surprise, and no mention was made of the staff’s intention to use Dupree as a defensive player. Davis announced that he had decided to take an official visit to Illinois over the weekend of January 22nd and follow that up with a Monday visit to hometown Louisville on January 24th. After his visits, he told a local news station that he had made his decision and would announce the school he’d chosen on January 26th, presumably without allowing Joker a final opportunity he was supposed to be given.

Rumors started swirling from every circle and reports surfaced that Davis would pick Louisville, then Illinois, I even had a source contact me that claimed Jon would reaffirm his commitment to Kentucky when he announced on Wednesday. As the supporters of each university waited, no word came. Then yesterday afternoon, Davis’ high school coach told reporters that Reggie Davis was stuck out of state and the decision would be postponed until National Signing Day. Illinois coach Ron Zook came down for an in-home visit with Jon, and then he and his family would close off all recruiting efforts until his announcement, presumably shutting Joker out again.

So there you have the timeline of the Jon Davis saga.

Here’s what I think.

Davis committed to Kentucky in December last year. Despite the number of tight ends Kentucky has on the roster, the number has not changed since signing day last year. I don’t see where Davis’ concern about competition comes into play. I don’t buy that he’s worried about competing with Kentucky’s top two tight ends (which were both two-star players). Then there’s the probability that some guys will be moved around this offseason and could end up at fullback, on the offensive line or even on defense. One “tight end” recruit that Kentucky has received a verbal from is Josh Forrest from Paducah. He’s a point guard on the hardwood that weighs around 190 pounds and has only been playing football a couple of years. While he has some considerable upside, it’s unlikely that he’ll contribute from day one. The other recruit Davis is worried about is Alvin Dupree. This guy is quite the physical specimen that has run a timed 4.65 forty-yard dash and has a self-proclaimed 39” vertical leap. While he could be seen as a potential threat for playing time, he openly stated that Kentucky’s coaches offered him as a defensive end and that should really end the discussion right there. No speculation needed. This is going to come down to what Davis really wants to do, and how strong of a relationship he’s built with Joker Phillips.

If Davis decides to go to Louisville or Illinois, then that’s where he needs to be. If Davis decides to go to Kentucky, I’ll be ecstatic because Joker will have pulled a great recruit from Louisville’s back yard. Either way, a lot of fans are making Davis out to be something he’s not. While there’s no doubt he’s a talented football player and will have the ability to contribute from the second he steps on campus, he’s still not a program changing player. Davis is likely to play fullback, tight end, or a hybrid of the two in college. Name one fullback or tight end in the last ten years that has been a game changer for his team. I