The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516256
2024 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ 42 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2024 BY EJ HOLLAND Michigan needed to find a high-end quarterback this cycle after years of tak- ing project types at the position. The Wolverines took an "all your eggs in one basket" approach with Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day signal-caller Jadyn Davis and made him their top pri- ority at the position for the majority of his junior year. That approach paid off when Michi- gan landed his commitment in late March 2023. "It's a great honor to go to the University o f M i c h i ga n ," Dav i s said. "A lot of these kids dream to be in this position. I'm ready for the opportunity… Aca- demics played a big role. My mom has al- ways said, 'No books, no ball.' That was big for me. I already know some of the guys on the team as well, and they treat me like a little b ro t h e r. Eve r y t h i n g from a recruiting to academic standpoint felt right." Fo r m e r M i c h i ga n q u a r te r b a c k s c o a c h Matt Weiss initially led the way in Davis' re- cruitment. However, Michigan parted ways with Weiss and promoted Kirk Campbell to quarterbacks coach and eventually offensive coordinator. Campbell is a more aggressive and personal recruiter. Once he took over Davis' recruitment, he was able to seal the deal and win him over. "Coach Campbell made a great im- pact," Davis said. "I already had a good relationship with Matt Weiss. Coach Campbell set the foundation of our re- lationship, and it kept building. I love everything he stands for. He's a guy that's called plays before and truly knows the quarterback position. He's going to be a hell of a coach." Davis' decision came just a few weeks after he made an unofficial visit to Mich- igan. He had already been on campus on multiple occasions before then and sim- ply felt comfortable with the program, thanks in large part to the work of since- departed head coach Jim Harbaugh. "If you look at my recruitment, I've been to schools multiple times," Davis said. "It wasn't so I could take pictures or any of that. Every time I went to Michi- gan, they always showed me love. They even sent my little brother a birthday card. They never lied to me. Coach Har- baugh and I had some real, grown-men conversations. I'm all about loyalty, and that's what the Uni- versity of Michigan has given me." Dav i s, t h e No. 8 quarterback and No. 105 overall prospect nationally, was the Ga- torade North Carolina Player of the Year as a junior and one of the most decorated high school quarterbacks in the country in the 2024 recruiting cycle. With starting quar- terback J.J. McCar- thy off to the NFL and Michigan lacking depth at the position, Davis will have an op- portunity to compete right away. While he's not a dynamic athlete, Davis is extremely ac- curate and fits U-M's pro-style scheme. He also arrived in Ann Arbor with some wisdom from McCarthy. "He's like a big brother," Davis said. "He sent me short paragraphs every day. He always let me know he was going to be there for me. ... That's my dog for life. I've already learned a lot from him." ❑ Michigan Landed Carolina Quarterback Jadyn Davis After Making Him A Top Priority Davis was ranked as the No. 8 quar- terback and No. 105 overall pros- pect nationally in the On3 Industr y Ranking. He passed for 3,370 yards and 43 touchdowns as a senior, lead- ing Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day to a second consecutive state title. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND 2024 Projection Michigan has a wide-open quarterback compe on with J.J. McCarthy off to the NFL. Davis could quickly work his way up the depth chart thanks to his high-level football IQ and polished mechanics. He is very ac- curate short-intermediate and will have a chance to play early. Davis has one of the highest floors for a quarterback na onally, but ques ons remain about his athle c upside. STATISTICS Year A .-Comp. Yds. TD INT 2023 204-288 3,370 43 9 2022 221-305 3,425 43 6 2021 140-257 1,732 14 6 2020 65-108 839 11 3 HONORS • Gatorade North Carolina Football Player of the Year (2022-23) • Max Preps 2023 All-American • Charlo e Observer's North Carolina Mr. Foot- ball (2022, 2023) • All-American Bowl selec on (2023) • Elite 11 finalist (2023) • Led Providence Day to two North Carolina Independent Schools Athle c Associa on Division I state tles (2022, 2023) • FBU Freshman All-American (2020) RECRUITMENT • Pledged to Michigan March 31, 2023, a er receiving offer in May 2022. • Picked U-M over notable offers from Clemson, Georgia and LSU. • Recruited by U-M offensive coordinator (then quarterbacks coach) Kirk Campbell. DID YOU KNOW? • Is an early enrollee at Michigan. • A ended same high school as fellow 2024 signee Channing Goodwin. • Trained by former NFL quarterback Cam Newton. • Son of Jeremiah and Brandi Davis. • Born Aug. 22, 2005. THEY SAID IT On3 director of scou ng and rankings Charles Power: "I think the first thing that jumps out to me is his game administra on. He's a guy who knows where he's going with the football. He's polished. He's received a lot of coaching. ... He's consistent. He has a live arm … his arm strength is good. In terms of playing in structure and do- ing what the offense asks, he's very good there. I think the overall development level is strong." JADYN DAVIS QUARTERBACK 6-1 • 190 PROVIDENCE (N.C.) DAY FORT MILL, S.C. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 105 8 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 237 17 11 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 115 9 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 166 4 6 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 59 5 1 INDUSTRY