Recruitment of 2023 WR/TE Ethan Davis starts taking shape at midnight
Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill High School junior wide receiver Ethan Davis knows where he stands with a few programs on his long list after a frenzy of activity in the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday.
Midnight was the first-time college coaches could initiate contact with prospects in the class of 2023 via text or call.
Wednesday morning was an eye-opening experience for Davis. He heard from Penn State’s tight end coach Ty Howle first.
Tony Elliott, Clemson offensive coordinator, put in his text. Lane Kiffin, head coach of Ole Miss, was one of the first texts on Davis’ phone.
Dozens more contacted Davis. He heard from LSU, Coastal Carolina, Cincinnati, Auburn, Oregon, Ga Tech, Michigan State, Louisville, USF, Miss State, Marshall, West Virginia, Indiana, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech.
Davis was honest, he wanted to see who was going to prioritize him.
“It was kind of important to me because it made me feel prioritized and I like feeling prioritized,” Davis said. “It let me see who is really there and who I can pick from.”
The surprising part of Wednesday morning was that there were teams that hadn’t offered Davis that reached out. Coincidentally, Clemson haven’t offered Davis but he and Elliott had begun building a relationship about three weeks prior.
Cincinnati, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Marshall and West Virginia haven’t been in Davis’ picture.
“I didn’t know all these other schools that haven’t offered me knew about me,” Davis said. “I didn’t even know I was on their radar. That was kind of an eye-opener.”
Ole Miss leading the pack early for Ethan Davis?
Davis took note that Ole Miss’ head coach was the one that reached out to him. Ole Miss is one of the three schools alongside Georgia Tech and Georgia that have offered Davis as a football player and a basketball player.
Davis has been on the Oxford campus multiple times throughout his basketball recruitment and now his football process.
He still remembers his first interactions with Kiffin on his unofficial visit this summer.
“It meant a lot,” Davis said. “When I met him on my unofficial visit, I could tell he was a good coach and a great person. For him to be thinking about me two months after the visit, that shows something about his character. It really showed a lot about them. For him to be staying up and texting me at that time showed a lot.”
Kiffin is one of the last coaches Davis will be getting know at Ole Miss. He’s built strong relationships with multiple members of the staff already.
“I’ve built good a lot of good relationships with all of the coaches there,” Davis said. “Coach (John David) Baker and I talk a lot. Me and coach (Ronnie) Hamilton on the basketball staff talk a lot. I can tell they’re driven by the relationship their building with me. They’re showing me the love.”
Davis says he will be in at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday night when Ole Miss faces Louisville.
He also plans to go to a game in Oxford this season.
The only other game he is settled on at the moment is Penn State vs Auburn in Sept. 18 in State College.