Ranking the Contenders: Dematrius Davis
Rivals250 quarterback Dematrius Davis was the face of Virginia Tech's 2021 recruiting class and represented a major recruiting victory on the trail in Texas for Hokies coach Justin Fuente. However, the four-star dual-threat backed off that commitment on May 6.
Now Davis has to reshuffle the deck and revisit some of his top options. Before committing to the Hokies last fall, Davis was favoring LSU, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Nebraska, Florida State and Baylor. However, new contenders have surfaced for the two-time state champion.
MORE RANKING THE CONTENDERS: Isaiah Brevard | Leonard Taylor | Aaron Armitage | Marcus Burris | Brock Bowers | JD Coffey | Katron Evans | Kelvin Gilliam | Julien Simon | Bram Walden
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
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AUBURN
My FutureCast is locked and loaded with Auburn for Davis, who has been the No. 1 target for new Tigers offensive coordinator Chad Morris. Morris recruited Davis while serving as the head coach of the Razorbacks and identified the four-star as the top target for Auburn after taking the job. Expect Davis to visit The Plains soon after on-campus visits resume. Auburn signed Brandon Frazier and Chris Thompson Jr. from the Lone Star State in 2020 and seem poised to make another Texas-sized run in 2021. That begins with Davis and could very likely lead to multiple dominoes falling into place soon after.
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VIRGINIA TECH
Even after backing off his longtime Virginia Tech pledge Davis mentioned that he intends to use one official visit to return to Blacksburg before settling on a decision. Davis has a fantastic relationship with Fuente, and assistant coaches Brad Cornelsen and Beau Davidson.
Virginia Tech hired Fuente because of his track record in Texas. Last year, the Hokies signed Alec Bryant and Robert Wooten, and they have positioned themselves nicely with several more prospects in the 2021 class. Davis remains a priority, though the Virginia Tech staff members have their work cut out for them.
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TEXAS A&M
Could Davis wind up playing college football inside Texas? It's not a far-off concept. The Aggies hold a commitment from four-star Denton (Texas) Guyer dual-threat Eli Stowers, but the staff offered Garrett Nussmeier a few months ago and continued to recruit Davis before he committed to Virginia Tech.
Davis' best friend and teammate, Shadrach Banks, is locked in with the Aggies. That opens the door for Davis to return to College Station for visits in the fall. He's maintained a good relationship with Jimbo Fisher and the Texas A&M staff, which means the door remains open.
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LSU
LSU has always recruited North Shore hard and the results speak for themselves. LSU recently landed a commitment from Rivals100 passer Garrett Nussmeier, but the folks in Baton Rouge are eyeing a two-quarterback haul in 2021 to supplement the depth chart post-Joe Burrow.
LSU was an early offer for Davis and he's been in town to visit on multiple occasions. Davis' family has ties to Louisiana and family in the state, so the fit makes sense. Don't be surprised if Davis returns to LSU for a visit in the fall as the staff explores multiple ways to sign two of the country's best quarterbacks.