Commitment breakdown: Jaden Davis to Oklahoma
THE SITUATION: Four-star defensive back Jaden Davis’ commitment to Oklahoma wasn’t an upset and it certainly wasn’t a shock, but Oklahoma fans won’t mind the lack of suspense. Davis had been leaning toward picking OU since taking an official visit to Norman in April and made things official by publicly committing to the Sooners on Wednesday.
The official announcement came in the form of a tweet.
HOW IT HELPS OKLAHOMA: Davis is a bit undersized but has shined in coverage against bigger wide receivers on both Friday nights and on the camp circuit alike. At this point it’s hard to argue with the production, but the addition of Davis is about more than just his on-filed skill set. A four-star cornerback, Davis attends Ft. Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas High School, which ranks among the country’s top schools when it comes to producing college and NFL talent. A year ago, the program had 16 prospects, including Oklahoma freshman Nikolas Bonitto, sign with FBS programs and annually has a depth chart stocked with sought-after players. That’s all to say, this is a great place for a school like OU to make an in-road or two. Davis’ 7-on-7 teams, South Florida Express, is also among the nation’s best and sends nearly its entire roster to college rosters annually, so if Davis shines in Norman a number of people that matter will take note. Lincoln Riley’s recruiting efforts in Florida and beyond seem to be snowballing as the Sooners are putting together an impressive haul. More importantly, however, Riley seems to be building relationship and pipelines in the most important of places.
HOW IT HURTS OTHERS: Exactly where Davis sits on Miami’s recruiting board seems to change by the week and depends on who you ask. Davis lacks elite size so its stands to reason that the Hurricanes may have other targets ahead. Still, the four-star corner was, at least at one time, a priority target for Mark Richt. Whatever the case these days, the UM staff and fan base will be none to pleased should Davis turn into a star in the Big 12. Kentucky and Penn State, Davis’ other finalists, also missed out here as he was certainly a take for each of them. Kentucky continues to put maximum effort into recruiting Florida, but has landed just one four-star prospect from the state since 2014.