Ranking the Contenders: Quaydarius Davis
Quaydarius Davis is one of the elite wide receivers in the class of 2021 and the highly sought-after Dallas prospect has already seen his recruitment go in plenty of different directions in a short period of time.
The Rival100 talent was an early SMU commitment before deciding to back off the hometown team and pledge to Texas soon after landing an offer last offseason. Davis has since pressed the reset button on his recruitment with recent visits to Alabama, LSU and Texas all under his belt.
In addition to those three contenders, Davis has made mention of SMU, USC, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Florida, which have all been hard after the talented Texas wide receiver. He is aiming to have a decision in place before the start of his senior season at Skyline High School.
He told Rivals that by the end of spring he hoped to have a decision in place, and while there is certainly a team trending for Davis, it's unclear if the lack of spring visits will alter those plans.
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1. Texas
There's an easy case to be that despite decommitting several months ago, the Longhorns remain the beat to beat for the elite in-state wide receiver. Davis has continued to remain in regular contact with Tom Herman and has quickly forged relationships with new wide receivers coach Andre Coleman and, perhaps most importantly, ace recruiter Bryan Carrington.
There were some rumors of a potential commitment midway through the spring already, though that has certainly been quelled a bit. David feels very strongly about representing his home state of Texas, which will be a major X-factor looming over his recruitment until he signs on the dotted line.
*****
2. LSU
LSU has a claim as the biggest threat to the Longhorns' chances of keeping Davis in the Lone Star State. Ed Orgeron was able to get the Rivals100 wide receiver on campus for the regular-season finale at home against Texas A&M and then back for a private junior day with his 7-on-7 teammates in December.
Davis has sported his purple LSU receiver gloves on multiple occasions since then. The Tigers are a team surging with the elite Dallas prospect and might have had a chance to build on that momentum with an opportunity to host Davis again this spring or summer.
*****
3. SMU
Davis committed to SMU very early on in his recruitment and even after backing off that pledge and committing to Texas, he continued to rave about his relationships at SMU and how much it meant to represent his hometown of Dallas potentially at the collegiate level.
The addition of Ra'Shaad Samples last year is a major selling point for the Rivals100 receiver and that has kept the Mustangs steadily in the mix. SMU already holds a commitment from elite quarterback Preston Davis, which isn't lost on Davis.
*****
4. Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State has quietly remained a program in a good spot for Davis. After all, the Cowboys have a high-octane offense and alumni such as Dez Bryant to sell. Interestingly enough, earlier this year Davis raved about the idea of playing defense for Oklahoma State and mentioned that was something he was taking very seriously. Regardless at what position the Oklahoma State staff wants to play Davis, they've maintained a good relationship throughout the process.
*****
5. USC
USC recently offered Davis but has long been a team in consistent communication with the North Texas standout. Graham Harrell has been excellent in aiding the Trojans' efforts in recruiting the Lone Star State and they hit Dallas especially hard in 2020. Davis is almost certain to give Southern Cal an official visit whenever and consistently raves about the idea of playing for a school laden with tradition.
*****
6. Florida
Florida was one of the bigger visits on deck for Davis before the NCAA implemented a recruiting dead period due to the coronavirus pandemic. The entire UF coaching staff has remained in contact with Davis and The Swamp was one of the signature visits that the Rivals100 wide receiver had openly spoke about -- for a good amount of time -- and it's probable reason to expect the Gators receive an official visit down the road.
Last year, Florida signed Jahari Rogers, Princely Umanmielen and Avery Helm out of Texas and has a chance to repeat that with Davis in 2021.