On a muggy, mid-August evening, the pads started popping on a Friday night. High School football is set to begin again for the 2022 season, and that means taking a look at some of the top recruits playing in those games. The first night of the 2022 season meant a trip to North Cobb High School in Georgia to watch the Warriors scrimmage the defending 7A State Champion Collins Hill Eagles. It also meant an opportunity to get eyes on one of the best prospects in the state of Georgia, current Tennessee Volunteer commit, Ethan Davis.
What Josh Heupel did for the Tennessee Volunteers in his first year at the helm was nothing short of astounding. Heupel turned one of the most anemic offenses into the country into a unit that was in the Top 10 in the nation in multiple categories, while scoring the most points in a season in school history. The warp speed tempo installed by Heupel, along with outstanding play calls and designs, saw the Vols find massive production all over the field. Tennessee saw Hendon Hooker have one of the best seasons for a quarterback in school history, Cedric Tillman explode as arguably the best receiver in the SEC, and Velus Jones turn into a high NFL Draft pick for the Chicago Bears. One of the only positions that didn’t productivity explode, however, was the tight end spot. That is where Davis comes in.
At 6’5” and 230 pounds, Ethan Davis has the ideal size for a top tier tight end. He has long arms that allow him to have a large catch radius, good size to take advantage against smaller defenders, and the ability to add more muscle to his frame to hold up in blocking situations and through the grind of an SEC season. What makes Davis a unique prospect is his speed and how smooth he is. Watching Davis work against North Cobb, as he started his routes or came up out of his stance, he unwound and ran like a track athlete. Everything he does, from his acceleration, routes, and running after the catch, looks effortless. The combination of size, speed, and skill make him a unique prospect that the Volunteers are excited to get to Knoxville, and Davis demonstrated precisely why on one play.
Typically, Davis lines up wide for the Eagles, working more as a wide receiver or as a tight end operating in space. His size and speed make him effective in that role. Against the Warriors, the coaches had Davis line up with his hand in the dirt, on the end of the line a few times. The first instance of this resulted in a deep completion and a huge gain for the Eagles on a throw to Davis. The Eagles we’re able to get a matchup they liked with Davis on the line. He came out of his stance, got a clean release to the outside, used his speed to get past the linebacker, and took off up the field. He made an excellent hands catch deep down the field, took a big hit from a late arriving safety, and finished the catch for a big gain. That ability to create mismatches with his skillset will be a focus for Josh Heupel when Davis starts work with the Volunteers. He becomes an athlete at the tight end position that the coaches can move around to create multiple mismatches and big play opportunities.
Davis and his teammates will begin the defense of their 7A State Title next week as the regular season opens. While Knoxville may be on the young, star tight end’s mind, his focus currently is on being a leader for his team and reaching the expectations set for their program. The leadership and focus should just add to the excitement for Vol fans as they await the arrival of Davis to an already potent offense.
