The future stars of Ohio State football officially begin their Buckeye careers as standouts from all over the country put pens to their National Letters of Intent.
The Davis File
- Class: 2016
- Size: 5-11/187
- Pos: CB
- School: Lake Taylor (Norfolk, VA)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: 33
The Buckeyes had a number of needs in the 2016 class, but the secondary may have been at the top of the list. Lake Taylor High in Norfolk, Virginia was quite kind to Ohio State back in 2014 as the Buckeyes snagged one of the state's top players in defensive end Jalyn Holmes. This year, with a focus on adding depth to the secondary, they looked toward Norfolk again.
Wayne Davis took an unofficial visit to Ohio State in September of 2014 and caught the eye of the Buckeyes' staff. Early on, Virginia Tech may have jumped out to a lead, but that's not totally uncommon for an in-state kid.
The 5-foot-11, 187-pound corner released a top five of Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Tennessee, Michigan, and Wake Forest. He was initially planning to decide on signing day, but those plans would change in a big way.
CB Wayne Davis has #VirginiaTech & #OhioState still tied. Moves decision timetable up. http://t.co/8Ke4izVkZs @Waynedavis1_ @EvanGWatkins247
— Ryan Bartow (@RyanBartow) May 9, 2015
With the Buckeyes and Hokies sitting atop his list, it seemed like a decision could come at virtually anytime. Other than a few local radio appearances, the Norfolk star kept a fairly low profile during his recruitment.
Both schools remained confident, but as the summer months ticked by, a planned visit to Columbus had yet to take place. On July 9th, the same day as another defensive back target – Jared Mayden – was set to decide, Davis announced that he had committed to Ohio State.
Blessed and Excited to say Im Offically Commited to The hio State Buckeyes #Gobuckeyes #VatoOSU pic.twitter.com/GQoBNzsZ28
— Wayne Davis Jr (@Waynedavis1_) July 9, 2015
The commitment wasn't necessarily a surprise, though it did catch some folks off guard as they were awaiting the Mayden announcement (which would be in Oregon's favor). The summer trip to Columbus would then take place in late July and an official visit followed in mid-October.
The No. 6 player in Virginia, Davis does a little bit of everything at corner. He possesses the strength to play press-man coverage but also has the recovery speed to rebound if beaten. At 5-foot-11, 187 pounds, his upper-body strength stands out on film as Lake Taylor employed a mostly man-to-man coverage scheme.
"He's a Grinder, has high character and has a real desire to be great," the source close to Davis said. "That's why he picked Ohio State, he knew the Buckeyes were going to maximize him and give him the tools and platform to work to become great. He's a dog. He's competitive as (expletive)."
