Clemson is among the pack of schools heavily pursuing Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway four-star defensive back Derrick Davis, a top-ranked safety in the 2021 class.
Davis (6-1, 195) said this week at the check-in for Under Armour’s Future 50 event in Orlando that Clemson is one of the staffs he talks with the most, along with LSU, Penn State, Michigan, Alabama and Pittsburgh.
“It’s all the same,” Davis said of what he is hearing from the respective coaches. “They all share the same energy with me.”
“They talk about me coming in and playing that safety position,” he added. “Some schools even say playing both sides of the ball, me being so versatile, that sets up a lot of things for me and good competition for myself. I love it. I love it a lot. It just goes to show that I can be a playmaker anywhere on the field.”
Clemson is very interested in Davis, and vice versa.
Davis, the nation’s No. 2 safety according to multiple recruiting services, visited Clemson last June after receiving an offer from the Tigers in May.
“I fell in love with Clemson during the summer,” he said. “It was just the campus really and the coaches, the vibe they have is like family ties really.”
Clemson is one of several schools Davis hopes to check out again moving forward.
“Hopefully I’ll get back out to Penn State, back out to Columbus, hopefully try to get to Michigan, I probably will, and back down to Clemson and hopefully LSU,” he said.
Davis is not planning to make his decision until next December and said he likely won’t take his official visits until later in the cycle. Asked if there are any locks for his top five down the road, Davis named Penn State and Ohio State.
When it comes down to it, playing time and player development will be important factors in Davis’ decision.
“I look at playing time and I also look at how they develop their safeties,” Davis said. “I look at Penn State for example and how (cornerbacks coach) Terry (M. Smith) rotates his corners and safeties a lot. I love what they do. I love what he does.”
Davis is a top-100 national prospect according to ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. He is ranked as high as the No. 27 overall prospect in the 2021 class according to ESPN.
— Quotes courtesy Christian McCollum, Irish Sports Daily
Clemson is going back to the national championship game after once again winning the Fiesta Bowl over Ohio State. Get your official national championship and Fiesta Bowl champs gear right here!
