Houston area quarterback Dematrius Davis has already impressed dozens of major college coaches across the country during his high school recruitment. Now he gets to test his skills going up against some of the other top QBs his age.
Davis, who committed to Auburn last month, was named one of 20 finalists Friday for the 2020 Elite 11 Finals, set to take place in Nashville at the end of the month.
The prestigious quarterback camp annually features the top teenage passers in the country. It's run by former NFL QB Trent Dilfer, who brings in "camp counselors" to teach the finalists. Jarrett Stidham, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts, among others, served as counselors when Auburn quarterback Bo Nix made the Elite 11 in 2018.
Elite 11 alumni are usually some of the highest-rated QB prospects in the nation, thus the fraternity's past members boast careers that include Heismans, national titles and No. 1 overall picks.
Rated as the No. 6 dual-threat passer and a top 20 player in Texas in the 2021 class, Davis decommitted from Virginia Tech at the start of May before Auburn offensive coordinator Chad Morris used his Texas connections to reel in his QB target for the class.
From an AuburnSports.com piece following his commitment to Auburn, here's what the Tigers hope their QB of the near future brings to the table:
Plain and simple, Davis is a winner and leader. Those are obviously big cliches for athletes, especially out of high school — so for good measure, here's another one: He's got all the intangibles coaches hope for in their quarterback of the future.
The 5-foot-11 rising senior will be looking to win his third straight Texas 6A state championship this coming season.
To win the first title in 2018 — a game during which he accounted for 422 total yards and five touchdowns and won Offensive MVP, and after which he won MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year — Davis beat Duncanville, 41-36 with a 45-yard Hail Mary as time expired.
It's considered one of the greatest plays in Texas high school football lore, and was nominated for an ESPY.
Of course, one play doesn't define Davis' career, or the type of prospect he is as a quarterback. He has a 38-1 record as a starter (he also started some his freshman season) and has racked up 6,022 passing yards, 1,867 rushing yards and 97 total touchdowns over the past two years.
Under 6 feet tall, Davis' athletic abilities match his stature as a slippery and nimble dual threat. He's a passer first, but when the first one or two options aren't available or things get dicey with the pass rush, Davis has the awareness and speed to escape the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield, then taking off and running if he sees an angle or a big patch of green in front of him.
Like most highly recruited dual-threat quarterback prospects, Davis has made his living dissecting defenses when a play breaks down. "Intangible" skills come to mind again when Davis' tape is flipped on and he's able to find targets downfield in precarious situations and when he's forced to improvise.
His top-end speed isn't blazing, but Davis can make one or two defenders miss in the open field, and he has the strength to break tackles from defensive backs near the goal-line — and he's not afraid to fight for extra yardage when he can smell a touchdown.
Arm strength is one of Davis' more average qualities, though he makes up for it with accuracy on the run and decisiveness when looking downfield from within the pocket.
Davis' ball placement is exceptional, and he tends to make his best throws near the sidelines and can roll to either his right or left. When Davis is able to drop back and survey the defense, he can dissect the middle of the field and find streaking receivers' outstretched gloves in stride.
If Auburn can lock him up officially down the road, Davis will be one of the more dynamic quarterback prospects in recent Tigers history. Morris will be anxious to begin perfecting his skill set to create what Auburn hopes will become a serious problem for SEC defenses in years to come.
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