Derrick Davis has been going through the recruiting process for years and tried really hard not to rush his decision. The pandemic made it difficult for the Rivals100 safety out of Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway to do the research he need to figure out which school he wanted to play for so he took it into his own hands to take a couple visits. In the last two weeks, Davis took visits to Ohio State and LSU. Now that he felt comfortable with his choice, Davis announced his decision to commit to LSU over Penn State and Ohio State.
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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IN HIS OWN WORDS...
“The environment just felt like it was for me,” Davis said. “I feel like I was just at home while I was there. The way coach Busch recruited me was just unbelievable, especially with them coming in late in the process. They stuck with me.
“I like the role the safeties play in their defense,” he said. “They put their players in the NFL. Their players are going in the first or second round. I look at how they were able to put 2 guys in the NFL. That played an important role for me.
“The conversations I've had with the coaches over the phone made me feel so comfortable with them,” said Davis. “Taking our visit down there, the coaches were constantly checking in on my mom and me to see if we were doing well, making sure we visited all the place we wanted to see, and all of that was happening when they had an away game. It was those little things that they did that I really enjoyed. I just loved how when I was down there my mom was able to enjoy herself and say that she could see her son going to college there.”
RIVALS' REACTION...
Davis is a huge pickup for LSU because of the versatility he brings to the secondary. He could play multiple safety positions but he can also cover slot receivers, and even tight ends because he has great length and understands how to play physically with receivers in the open field. The thing that stands out most when you're watching his defensive film is his anticipation. He does a great job quickly diagnosing the play and making every effort to knock the pass down or grab interceptions. Davis scored more than 75 touchdowns in his high school career so once he gets the ball in his hands he can certainly take it the distance. LSU seemed like a dark horse just about a month ago but the Tigers were able to get him and his mother to take a visit to Baton Rouge to see what everything was like there. They got a great look at the academic and athletic facilities and felt very comfortable in that environment. Hats off to defensive backs coach Bill Busch for tirelessly recruiting Davis even though LSU got into the race a little late and beating favorites Penn State and Ohio State.
