Ranking the Contenders: Jaylin Davies
Jaylin Davies recently narrowed his list to seven programs as the four-star cornerback had two dozen offers heading into the offseason.
The Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout had planned visits to Arizona State, Ohio State, Washington and Texas this spring but because of the coronavirus travel ban, all those trips have to be rescheduled for later.
Below, Davies’ seven contenders are ranked.
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
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1. ARIZONA STATE
Davies has an excellent connection with the Sun Devils because of new assistant coach Chris Hawkins and because the four-star has known assistant Antonio Pierce for years. The Mater Dei standout also plays 7-on-7 for Hawkins’ father, Armond, at Ground Zero so the relationship definitely runs deep. Herm Edwards has also developed a strong bond with Davies and so much NFL experience on that coaching staff could be a huge plus.
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2. USC
Davies was highly impressed by his recent visit to USC for its elite junior day as the four-star sensed a new and refreshed vision by the coaching staff. Getting assistant coach Donte Williams on staff from Oregon is definitely a major deal as Williams has great relationships with prospects and is one of the best recruiters in the West. Lots of top prospects still dream of playing for the Trojans and Mater Dei has been a pipeline to USC so that cannot be discounted.
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3. OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes are making Davies a priority – and he feels it. He talks with Ryan Day, Kerry Coombs and Corey Dennis regularly and that has been a big deal. Davies is also very savvy when it comes to how much Ohio State develops defensive backs and puts them in the NFL. During a recent interview, Davies pointed to Jeffrey Okudah and others that are entering the NFL Draft this year and others that have come through the program in recent years.
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4. WASHINGTON
Another school that produces a ton of elite defensive backs is Washington and the Huskies have had a tremendous amount of success with players from Southern California in recent years. Davies has a great relationship with position coach Will Harris and it only helps that Jimmy Lake, a DBs coach, landed the head coaching job when Chris Petersen resigned. The Huskies also signed former Mater Dei teammate Myles Murao in their last recruiting class so Davies has talked to Murao a lot about the program.
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5. UCLA
Not only has Davies visited UCLA multiple times but he continues to build his relationship with Chip Kelly, assistant Brian Norwood and others. There are also a few former Mater Dei players especially from the secondary that are playing for the Bruins now and that could play a factor. The opportunity to get on the field early could be huge for someone so talented and that could play a role for Davies, too.
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6. ALABAMA
Every top prospect is intrigued by the Crimson Tide and it’s no different with Davies, who sees numerous elite defensive players get drafted out of that program every year. If Alabama gets an official visit then it could move even higher up the list. Davies also likes that Alabama is similar to Mater Dei in the sense that it’s all-business and incredibly well-structured.
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7. TEXAS
There are some new coaches at Texas and Davies said he likes the energy they are bringing to the program. The Mater Dei standout also likes that it doesn’t get much bigger than playing for the Longhorns on the national stage. Texas is recruiting the West region more and that could play a role as well. But until Davies takes a visit to Austin – and that is still expected to happen – there is some ground for Texas to make up in his recruitment.