Film Room: Ray Davis

Tailback was one of the biggest positions of need for Kentucky football in the 2023 recruiting cycle. The Wildcats had to address this spot in the transfer portal as new position coach Jay Boulware inherits a room that needs some rebuilding.

Kentucky did just that by fighting off multiple power conference schools in the recruitment of Vanderbilt transfer Ray Davis.

The big tailback (5-9, 205) has played a ton of football in his four-year career at Temple and Vanderbilt. The Blairstown (N.J.) Blair Academy product will be a redshirt senior in 2023 and has two years of eligibility remaining as he enters a graduate program at the University of Kentucky.

The 1,000-yard rusher in 2022 has rushed for over 2,500 yards in his career and has gone over 900 yards in his only two full-time seasons. Davis proved to be a true workhorse in an SEC offense last season and will add a much-needed power element to Kentucky’s rushing operation.

Now let’s slide into the KSR Film Room to see what this newest transfer addition will bring to the table.

Chris Rodriguez Jr.‘s Kentucky career is now officially over after the redshirt senior declared for the NFL Draft and opted out of the Music City Bowl. That’s a significant loss for the program for a plethora of reasons. The top one may be what the Wildcats now have to replace in short-yardage situations.

There is not a clear power back on the 2023 roster currently in Lexington. That changes with the addition of Ray Davis.

On the third-and-short run out of the shotgun, the tailback avoids instant penetration and then runs through a tackle at the line of scrimmage to move the chains. This will be needed next season. Kentucky will be depending on Davis to extend drives with tough runs in short-yardage situations.

If you’re looking for a tailback that is going to pop a bunch of explosive plays, this isn’t the back for you. However, Ray Davis does a good job of absorbing contact and getting yards after the first hit. The former American Athletic Conference transfer collected 737 yards after contact this season on his way to a 1,000-yard season. You don’t do that unless you can break tackles.

On tape, Davis is consistently twisting his body and spinning upon contact in an effort to fall forward to pick up extra yardage. Sometimes that movement can create a full-blown missed tackle and get the bruising runner out in space.

Last season, Vandy graded out as the worst run-blocking offensive line in the SEC, per PFF. That showed up in the number of times Ray Davis was hit at the line of scrimmage. However, when blocking schemes were executed, this tailback did a good job of finding daylight.

On gap scheme runs with a pulling lineman coming from the backside, Davis does a very good job staying patient and allowing his blocks to set up. Once there is a hat on a hat, the tailback finds daylight with good feel and vision getting north/south very quickly.

Ray Davis will give Kentucky some run game stability

Kentucky’s offense is under going a lot of change heading into the 2023 season. That is hitting the tailback room hard at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility.

The Cats are making another switch at offensive coordinator, have a new running backs coach, and lost an All-SEC tailback to the NFL. Meanwhile, JuTahn McClain is the only returning back with solid college production but in no way is the Fairfield (Ohio) High product a workhorse tailback.

Kentucky’s ground attack needs some help and the Wildcats found that in the transfer portal.

Ray Davis is no thrills runner with a low explosive play rate (11.5%) on 547 career carries, but the transfer is bringing proven SEC production to Kentucky playing behind an offensive line that had a lot of issues in Nashville. The latest addition should help stabilize the run game in Lexington as the Cats go through a transition period.

Davis is a capable tailback with experience in multiple schemes. The redshirt senior will have a chance to make a big impact with the Cats in 2023. The high floor transfer gives this offense a dependable short-yardage runner who can break tackles and keep the offense ahead of the chains when the offensive line creates running room.