Unrated Checkup: From no stars to SEC stars

Every Friday during the football season, we take a look back at some players who are performing well in either college football or the NFL despite the fact that they were unrated as high school prospects. This week we take a look at three players in the SEC who played a big role in their teams' victories last Saturday.

MORE: Last week's unrated checkup

As a recruit: Despite putting up big numbers while playing on both sides of the ball at Luella High School in Georgia, Davis didn’t have much in the way of recruiting interest and elected to stay close to home and walk on with the Dawgs rather than play at a lower level. He joined Georgia for the 2013 season.

What he did this week: After redshirting his freshman season, Davis has been a stalwart in the Georgia secondary, even through multiple head coaches and defensive coordinators. With Georgia now at the top of the rankings nothing has changed for Davis, who is still an important part of the Dawgs' defense. In Saturday’s victory over South Carolina he had five total tackles, including chipping in on a tackle for loss. Statistically Davis’ numbers are down slightly from his career year in 2016, but to go from unranked to a four-year contributor is quite the story.

As a recruit: A high school quarterback at Nashville-area powerhouse Brentwood Academy, Knox saw his chance at a college scholarship go out the window when he was injured in the first game of his senior season. With several friends headed to play for Ole Miss, Knox was invited to walk on and joined the team in 2015.

What he did this week: After moving to tight end in college, Knox spent his first year on campus redshirting while learning his new position. He worked his way onto the field in 2016, primarily as a special teams player, before earning a role on the offense heading into 2017. In Saturday’s victory over Kentucky, Knox came up big, catching five passes for 73 yards. Over the second half of the season Knox has developed into a reliable receiving threat, catching at least two passes in five of the last six games.

As a recruit: A versatile athlete and a multi-sport star, Richardson was a jack-of-all-trades as a high school prospect. Despite his athleticism and resume as a quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back, his college options were limited and he elected to walk on at Arkansas. He joined the team prior to the start of the 2013 season.

What he did this week: After redshirting his first season on campus, Richardson worked his way into the lineup and was a regular contributor in 2014 and 2015. Injuries cost him nearly the entire 2016 season, but back healthy in 2017, he’s a vital part of the Hawgs' defense. In Saturday’s closer-than-expected win over Coastal Carolina, Richardson recorded three tackles and two important pass deflections. Richardson also has three interceptions on the season and is living the dream by representing his home state on a weekly basis.