Better Know a Buckeye: Wyatt Davis

This week's Better Know a Buckeye feature continues with a profile of Wyatt Davis, an offensive guard prospect from Los Angeles County.

Davis comes from a football family. His grandfather is a five-time NFL champion/Super Bowl champion and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His father played at Missouri before relocating to Hollywood to embark on an acting career. His older brother played at Washington State and California. A five-star prospect and California Mr. Football, Wyatt Davis might be the best of the bunch since his grandfather.

It's a surprise Ohio State even got a foot in the door during Davis' recruitment. His first three were offers were from Alabama, Oklahoma, and USC in early 2015. That should've been sufficient to focus a recruitment to the exclusion of other options. Ohio State only entered the fray last May, more than a year after his recruitment effectively started. Its entry to his recruitment coincided with a Midwest tour, during which Davis visited Ohio State. The visit wowed him and he committed to Ohio State a little more than a week later.

I retell his recruitment below and discuss the reasons for his commitment. Thereafter, I provide a scouting report of a five-star prospect who has all the tools to thrive at the guard position for Ohio State. I suggest the nature of the depth chart and Davis' physical tools make him a prime candidate to earn some playing time as a true freshman. I close with some highlight film for the reader to watch at the end of the feature.

HIS RECRUITMENT

Wyatt Davis was always a five-star offensive line prospect from California for the 2017 class. This made him high-priority for several elite programs that make recruiting California a high priority.

His first offer came from Alabama on Feb. 2, 2015, which it's any surprise this wasn't effectively the end of his recruitment. Alabama's livelihood depends on the best talent from its immediate reach (i.e. states with SEC programs in them) but its turn west coincided with the arrival of West Coast guys like Lane Kiffin and Tosh Lupoi as well as a recruiting mentality that looks for the best players in the country no matter their origin. The Crimson Tide have done well in the past few recruiting cycles to grab top talent from the state (e.g. Jamar King, Jonah Williams). Davis expressed a strong interest in adding his name to that list of Alabama players from the Golden State.

Oklahoma was the next offer. We've discussed elsewhere why Oklahoma looks to California for talent as part of a national push, in part, to offset recent recruiting difficulties in Texas. USC, which would not want to a lose a five-star prospect in its county to an out-of-state program, offered next on its 2015 junior day. By March 12, Davis listed these programs as his top three. It'd be a top three that just about every college football prospect would envy.

More offers followed through 2015, including big ones from programs like Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, and Washington. Missouri, where his father played, even offered. He had taken visits to Alabama and USC, even fielding in-house visits from the coaching staff at Notre Dame.

It's any wonder Davis was still available by time Ohio State came calling on May 2, 2016, or that Davis was willing to listen. He had released a top 15 of the major programs in which he was interested. Whereas these included the biggest names in the sport, it's surprising Ohio State got a foot in the door.

So excited and honored to receive an offer from THE Ohio State University #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/zpRwiGtgDN

— Wavy Dub (@wyattdavis53) May 3, 2016

The timing may have been fortunate. Davis had scheduled a Midwest tour to see Michigan and Notre Dame. Given the proximity and the investment Davis and his family already made in getting to the region, a visit to Ohio State was only a marginal added cost. The visits happened in succession. He visited Notre Dame on June 16, 2016. He went to Ann Arbor the next day. Thereafter, he traveled south to Columbus to see Ohio State.

Davis' remarks about the visit were glowing. He said he had no expectation about the visit before he arrived, leaving him genuinely enthralled with the campus, the athletic center, and the history of the program. Davis said he also responded positively to the pitch. Eschewing the traditional pitch of playing time and gridiron glory at Ohio State and beyond, Urban Meyer told Davis he would not promise him immediate playing time. Instead, Meyer said the job opportunities through Ohio State, and through the football program, would set Davis up for the rest of his life outside football.

Davis returned to California sure he wanted to take an official visit to Columbus for the Michigan game. He explored the possibility of an official visit to Alabama as well. It was therefore surprising that Davis said he was going to make a decision a little over a week after his Midwest tour. Crystal ball projections swung hard to Ohio State as well. Every comment about a great visit almost resembles a "sugar high" after which prospects come down a few days after the visit. In Davis' case, it seemed to be enough to end his recruitment.

HIS COMMITMENT

Wyatt Davis committed to Ohio State as the 11th member of what would become Ohio State's full 2017 recruiting class. He chose Ohio State over major offers from Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, and USC.

This was a major coup for a coaching staff to land not only a five-star prospect and the best offensive guard in the country, but to grab him from Los Angeles County from the grasps of Alabama and USC. Further, Ohio State moved considerably late into Davis' recruitment toward that end. This led to some speculation whether it would hold as signing day approached and, as we learned, when Urban Meyer was going to shake up the offensive coaching staff.

If that shakeup had targeted Greg Studrawa, a decommit may have happened as reports indicated a new interest in USC and Washington. However, Studrawa, who was a major reason why Davis committed to Ohio State, retained his position in 2017. Davis eventually signed with the Buckeyes in February.

WHERE HE EXCELS

Wyatt Davis played offensive tackle in high school. He could conceivably be a right tackle for a college football program. He has greater upside at guard.

The superlatives for Davis are naturally glowing as the No. 1 offensive guard prospect in the country. He's big (6-5, 310 pounds). He's strong. He's quick off the line of scrimmage. He manhandles defensive linemen. His film is replete with him pushing a defensive lineman five yards down the field on every snap.

He's a better run-blocker right now than he is a pass-protector. That comment is true for just about every offensive line prospect, even the five-stars. Still, the tools are there. He has a great wingspan and great lower-body strength. His footwork is good and his sense of balance is superb.

Wyatt Davis is taxing for those of us who want to find particulars in which Davis excels or is deficient. He's good at almost everything he shows. It's why he's the first pure offensive lineman to win California's Mr. Football award. That's no small feat.

MUST WORK ON

Davis' biggest adjustment will come in learning a new position. A pure tackle in high school, he'll almost certainly become a guard at Ohio State. He has all the physical tools to make the transition, and even thrive in it. However, that transition means he'll have to work hard on the nuances of pass protection. This will entail better diagnosing the more exotic blitz packages he'll see that he did not see in high school. His transition will ultimately be mental. The physical tools are there all the same.

REDSHIRT?

I'm not sure Davis starts in 2017 even as Ohio State has an opening at right guard. The options there (i.e. Demetrius Knox, Matt Burrell) are not sure commodities yet. I'm not sure Davis has the same kind of start to his career that Michael Jordan had, but I can see Davis as a credible threat for some playing time as a reserve.

HIGHLIGHTS

Here are senior-year highlights for Davis.