Admittedly, Urban Meyer had concerns about Billy Davis’ lack of recruiting experience when he hired him to replace Luke Fickell as Ohio State’s next linebackers coach, but the Buckeyes’ head coach still felt confident Davis would be just fine on the recruiting trail.
“It’s all work ethic and relationships and that’s the kind of person he is,” Meyer said in March.
Well, if the last two weeks were any indication, Meyer’s instincts were right.
Davis landed his first big recruiting win May 16 when Dallas Gant announced his pledge to the Buckeyes. Ohio State beat out Notre Dame to land the nation’s fifth-ranked outside linebacker.
Then, on Friday night, Davis landed what was perhaps an even bigger victory on the recruiting trail when the Buckeyes received a commitment from four-star linebacker Teradja Mitchell. Mitchell, the No. 2-ranked inside linebacker in the country, picked Ohio State over longtime favorite Florida State.
Two-plus weeks, two top-rated linebackers. Not bad for a guy who never recruited before.
“I’ve never done recruiting so it’s brand new to me,” Davis said in March. “But like I told Coach Meyer, that’s a positive. You tell me how you want it done and that’s how you’re going to get it done.”
Davis’ professional experience — he spent the last 26 years working in the NFL — appears to be resonating with recruits. Most kids who come to Ohio State want to go on to the next level and Davis has a proven track record working with NFL players. It makes sense.
So while Meyer admitted he had concerns about Davis’ lack of recruiting experience when he was hired, he felt confident he’d be successful because the two have known each other for quite some time. Meyer trusts Davis. He took a bit of a risk, yes, but it was a calculated one.
Ohio State is reaping the benefits right now.
“It’s all work ethic and relationships and he’s been great at both so far,” Meyer said of recruiting this spring. “But it’s about a motto: You’ve got to go get the guys.”
And so far, Davis is doing just that.
