UCLA’s roster has been turned over, the coaching staff has been reset, and the Bruins are trying to rebuild after a 3-9 finish and the firing of DeShaun Foster three games into his second season. As that overhaul continues, one of the more important pieces to watch is Jordan Davis, the No. 21 player on the team’s top-30 list.
Davis is headed for a tackle spot, and his path to UCLA was anything but straightforward. The Creekside High School product from Fairburn, Georgia, wasn’t a major name in the 2021 recruiting class.
He helped his high school team go 7-3 in 2020 and reach the second round of the Georgia AAAAA state playoffs, and he earned a spot on the AJC’s 5A Preseason All-State Team in his senior year. Still, the recruiting industry largely overlooked him.
According to 247Sports, he checked in at 1,491st overall in the class, 141st in Georgia, and 124th among offensive tackles.
Offers were limited. Georgia, Georgia Tech and LSU were among the schools that showed interest, but not heavily.
He also picked up mid-major offers from Kent State, Akron, Georgia State and Murray State. South Carolina was the school that finally made the move with an official offer, and Davis committed two days later and enrolled.
He arrived early in January and spent his first months mostly on the scout team, learning the system and getting his first taste of college football. But that early start did not translate into game action right away.
Davis did not play at all during the 2021 or 2022 seasons, even with South Carolina going 7-6 and winning the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. He never found a way onto the field despite the fact that he could have appeared in four games and still preserved his redshirt year.
After two seasons without a snap, Davis entered the transfer portal looking for a place where he could simply play. South Alabama gave him that opportunity, and he became a regular part of the Jaguars’ offensive line almost immediately.
His first year there brought real playing time. Davis appeared in 11 games, started nine of them at left tackle and helped South Alabama finish 7-6 while winning its bowl game against Eastern Michigan, 59-10. He was a steady presence, though he still allowed 2.8 sacks per game.
The next season marked a clear step forward. Davis started all 13 games and developed into a more reliable pass protector, cutting his sack allowance to one per game.
He was one of the stronger players on the roster as South Alabama set program records with 57 touchdowns, 447 total points, 32 rushing touchdowns, 2,580 rushing yards and 5,743 yards of total offense. Even with that offensive production, the Jaguars’ defense did not keep pace, and the team finished 6-6 in the regular season before beating Western Michigan 30-23 in its bowl game.
By his third season with South Alabama, Davis had climbed even higher. His pass protection and run blocking both improved, and he was playing at what could be described as an elite level in the Sun Belt Conference. He became a major part of a rushing attack that pushed South Alabama into the top 20 nationally on the ground.
That season also ended early. Davis suffered a shoulder injury during pregame warmups before the Louisiana game and was done after eight starts. South Alabama dropped two of its final four games and finished 4-8.
Now Davis is at UCLA, where Bob Chesney is trying to reshape the offensive line. The Bruins were among the worst teams in college football last season in both pass protection and run blocking, and the left tackle spot was a major issue. Nico Iamaleava was sacked 27 times last season, and Davis is expected to help clean that up from the blind side.
At 6-4 and 324 pounds, Davis brings the kind of athleticism and physicality UCLA needs. He is a solid pass blocker, but his best work comes in the run game.
That matters in Chesney’s offense, which leans on the ground game more often. With Davis sealing the edge at left tackle, UCLA should have a better chance to protect Iamaleava and give its runners room to get outside and make plays.
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