Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BY ANDREW IVINS Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Sanford says that he looks for a lot of different things in a quarter- back. He wants a guy that can make all the throws and one that can pick up "a minimum" of two first downs a game on the ground. But the skill set isn't the only thing that matters. Sanford also wants a quarterback that can compete. That's where Cedar Hill (Texas) High three-star signal-caller Avery Davis enters the fold. Davis, who gave a verbal commitment to play for the Irish March 19, is the type of quarterback that isn't afraid of a little competition. As a sophomore at Ce- dar Hill, he sat on the bench behind senior quarterback Justin McMillan, while many other top quarterbacks his age starred for their high schools. Cedar Hill head coach Joey Mc- Guire called it a lesson for Davis to play behind McMillan, who signed with LSU, and one that taught Da- vis the value of competition. By the time the state playoffs rolled around, Davis was challenging McMillan for snaps, and according to McGuire that's where the dual-threat quarter- back developed the mentality that he'll do whatever it takes to win. "That's just what he's about," Mc- Guire said. "In the state title game against Katy, he ran for 143 yards and a touchdown coming off the bench. I don't think we win the game without him. … He's just a winner. He's got the arm strength to make all of the throws. He's a legit 4.5 kid [in the 40- yard dash], and he can change up the run game. He's special. "When you look at most of the quarterbacks that are committed to schools and have been committed COMMITMENT PROFILE AVERY DAVIS Irish Land A 'Special' Quarterback Davis, the nation's No. 14 dual-threat signal- caller according to Rivals, picked the Notre Dame over fellow finalists Colorado and Utah. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM