How Wyatt Davis can top knockdowns total for Buckeyes
Ohio State is one of the most decorated college football programs in the country, and 2020 should be another year for a dominant Buckeyes team. Lettermen Row is breaking down five Ohio State records that could fall in 2020. Next up: Wyatt Davis, who is aiming to top Jonah Jackson’s 79 knockdowns from a season ago.
COLUMBUS — Wyatt Davis didn’t have to return to Ohio State.
He could’ve skipped out on his final two seasons with the Buckeyes, joined fellow guard Jonah Jackson in Indianapolis at the NFL Combine and become a multi-millionaire in pro football next season. Instead, he’ll return to the Buckeyes with his sights on a national title after a disappointing finish to last season.
And he might also gun for a record Jackson set a year ago, one that Davis was close to the entire year: Knockdowns.
“I think I finished the season with 79,” Jackson said at the NFL Combine. “They might have short-changed me a little bit. I don’t think they counted the Clemson ones. Yeah, I was proud with the 79. [Davis] was right there with me. He had a couple more that looked more impressive that they called for him, so I was a little jealous.â€
Jackson might be one of the first guards off the board during next month’s draft. Davis made him jealous, showing just how talented the Southern California product is at the line of scrimmage, where he and the other four starters helped Justin Fields lead one of the best offenses in school history while also blocking for 2,000-yard rusher J.K. Dobbins.
Jackson swears he was cheated out of a few. He thinks he had 84 or 85 knockdowns. And Davis was still close to that mark.
Maybe next season Davis will defeat that record.
Wyatt Davis helped the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title last year. (Birm/Lettermen Row)
The record: Jonah Jackson had 84 or 85 knockdowns last season
How Davis can break it:Â Davis is going to have to just keep mauling defensive linemen next season.
It’s not a matter of if he can rack up the knockdowns, it’s just a question of how many he could wind up posting. Davis is going to get bigger, faster and stronger thanks to Mickey Marotti’s offseason strength and conditioning program, so that’ll be taken care of — whenever the Buckeyes are all back on campus. The All-American guard will also have center Josh Myers, who could also be an All-American, back to play beside him. That duo, along with projected starter Harry Miller in place of Jackson, could form one of the best interiors in the country. The five starters together could be one of the most dominant offensive lines in all of college football. Davis has grown into one of the leaders in that room.
Davis will have to learn to play with two new offensive linemen, but that shouldn’t matter. His ability to pave roads for J.K. Dobbins will translate to any running back who could carry the ball behind the offensive line next season. Davis is in line to be a two-time All-American, and if he continues to develop, he might even top Jackson’s unofficial mark on knockdowns with ease.
And then Wyatt Davis likely be in the same position Jackson is in right now, only a year later.
