New Tiger Analysis: Dematrius Davis

[W.E.D 11,070]

5 hours ago, metafour said:

One thing worth pointing out: Dee Davis' hands look TINY. Like really really small. I'm intrigued to see what the measurement would check in at, but visually they look like they're in the ~8-inch range. This absolutely separates him from the "short" QB's in the NFL as both Brees and Wilson have abnormally huge hands (both over 10-inches) and Kyler Murray is in the solid range at ~9.5". It's something worth noting because the list of successful QB's in the NFL with small hands is incredibly short.

I'm not sure how you could see his hands, but he looks tiny on the field.  I'd be shocked if he's 6'.  Is there a chance he's as unique as Kyler Murray, maybe.  But just b/c he's short doesn't mean he's Kyler Murray.

[metafour 4,969]

51 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

I'm not sure how you could see his hands, but he looks tiny on the field.  I'd be shocked if he's 6'.  Is there a chance he's as unique as Kyler Murray, maybe.  But just b/c he's short doesn't mean he's Kyler Murray.

You can see it in a few pictures - his hands look small even for a short guy, let alone in comparison to a more "traditional" sized quarterback. At the end of the day if he can throw and it doesn't affect him gripping/holding onto the football then it doesn't matter, but he's never been hit in the pocket by an SEC defender. And I do find it interesting that the two short guys in the NFL that everyone wants to always bring up have absolutely massive hands.

 

 

And yes, 247 listed him at 5'10.5 - he's probably closer to 5'10 than he is to 6'0.

[steeleagle 2,945]

54 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

I'm not sure how you could see his hands, but he looks tiny on the field.  I'd be shocked if he's 6'.  Is there a chance he's as unique as Kyler Murray, maybe.  But just b/c he's short doesn't mean he's Kyler Murray.

I laughed bc, when a kid in HS is always displayed, in his case as 5'11" then bank on him NOT being near 6', but more than likely 5'10". And he is nothing quick like as Murray. He has elusiveness but not quick redirection moves.

What I would like to see from him, and which he seemed to show in all his videos, his his ability to manage the pocket and what is going on around him as plays develop. He seems to know where to look, how to anticipate pressure, make strong throws. If he can show consistency, and an ability to learn Harsin's playbook, that will give him a chance when Bo moves on...

[cbo 7,854]

2 hours ago, bigbird said:

Yeah, but all he did was get drafted by Belichek

I saw him laugh a couple times, which he learned how to do in Texas. 

[bigbird 60,568]

2 minutes ago, cbo said:

I saw him laugh a couple times, which he learned how to do in Texas. 

That's day one install out here

[W.E.D 11,070]

24 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

I laughed bc, when a kid in HS is always displayed, in his case as 5'11" then bank on him NOT being near 6', but more than likely 5'10". And he is nothing quick like as Murray. He has elusiveness but not quick redirection moves.

What I would like to see from him, and which he seemed to show in all his videos, his his ability to manage the pocket and what is going on around him as plays develop. He seems to know where to look, how to anticipate pressure, make strong throws. If he can show consistency, and an ability to learn Harsin's playbook, that will give him a chance when Bo moves on...

I honestly thought he was listed at 6' in his recruiting profile. 

 

[Gowebb11 9,335]

Hopefully DD will win a Heisman at AU and make millions in the NFL. The league can worry about his height and hand size. But for now he is at Auburn so selfishly I don’t care about either. Just be a highly productive player, win a ton of games, and be a good leader. His hands are plenty big enough to do that. Also, Shaun Shivers and Jonathan Jones are not too short and Peyton Barber is not too slow. WDE 🦅 

Edited May 13, 2021 by Gowebb11

[DAG 33,997]

4 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

Hopefully DD will win a Heisman at AU and make millions in the NFL. The league can worry about his height and hand size. But for now he is at Auburn so selfishly I don’t care about either. Just be a highly productive player, win a ton of games, and be a good leader. His hands are plenty big enough to do that.  

I agree with your sentiments , although I am going to do the reverse jinx and say he won’t be successful here lol. Hopefully that balances out the Heisman wish curse, as we have had two most recently, who seemingly has failed short. 

[Tiger 8,827]

I'm super excited about Davis.

The thing that worries me is the OP comment about not fitting the mold of the other QBs the staff is going after.

I hope he isn't looked over for guys the staff feel are "their" guys. 

Interesting note that makes me feel better, though. When DJ Shockley was on the Jboy Show, he mentioned how when Mike Bobo was his OC, CMB was having to beg Shockley to use his legs and run because it really hurt defenses while Shockley was focused on staying in the pocket and trying to prove to people he could throw. That makes me feel like Bobo isn't going to try to fit a square peg into a round hole.

[Gowebb11 9,335]

1 hour ago, DAG said:

I agree with your sentiments , although I am going to do the reverse jinx and say he won’t be successful here lol. Hopefully that balances out the Heisman wish curse, as we have had two most recently, who seemingly has failed short. 

I completely understand. LOL

[cole256 17,084]

If he's not labeled as inaccurate he'll be one of the first athletic guys not to be labeled as that. Lucky for him QB's are given more of a chance now. 

Unfortunately we're well known to say something or hear it said and run with it. Hopefully when he get a chance it will pay off quick because as soon as a pass is batted down or now with the b.s.hand size thing he fumbles or something people will run with it.

[toddc 13,194]

1 minute ago, cole256 said:

If he's not labeled as inaccurate he'll be one of the first athletic guys not to be labeled as that. Lucky for him QB's are given more of a chance now. 

Unfortunately we're well known to say something or hear it said and run with it. Hopefully when he get a chance it will pay off quick because as soon as a pass is batted down or now with the b.s.hand size thing he fumbles or something people will run with it.

You’re right! I mean the kid is a straight up baller and I can’t believe some are saying he can’t play in CBH’s system. A month or two ago people were saying he would beat out Bo and be the starter, at least let the kid play a down before he’s dissed on!

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,305]

41 minutes ago, Tiger said:

That makes me feel like Bobo isn't going to try to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Amen. Like most smart coaches who last in this league. I get the feeling that this staff isn't going to have that problem.

[DAG 33,997]

56 minutes ago, toddc said:

You’re right! I mean the kid is a straight up baller and I can’t believe some are saying he can’t play in CBH’s system. A month or two ago people were saying he would beat out Bo and be the starter, at least let the kid play a down before he’s dissed on!

Who said that ?

[toddc 13,194]

8 minutes ago, DAG said:

Who said that ?

Been said in this forum 

[DAG 33,997]

2 hours ago, toddc said:

Been said in this forum 

I have never seen anyone say he can’t play in CBH system but I definitely will take your word for it. I’ve heard people question is talent based on the previous administration recruiting him which is ridiculous to me. I also have heard people wonder if he is the prototypical QB that these guys utilize, which historically I don’t think he typically get DT guys, but I believe that is more due to the type of recruits available to him and a big assumption tbh.

[TexasTiger 12,953]

10 hours ago, fredst said:

Meh. Another soft Texan.....

Hey, now...

[Zeek 16,657]

4 hours ago, cole256 said:

If he's not labeled as inaccurate he'll be one of the first athletic guys not to be labeled as that. Lucky for him QB's are given more of a chance now. 

Unfortunately we're well known to say something or hear it said and run with it. Hopefully when he get a chance it will pay off quick because as soon as a pass is batted down or now with the b.s.hand size thing he fumbles or something people will run with it.

Yup,  too often people automatically assume that athletic = inaccurate 

[metafour 4,969]

48 minutes ago, DAG said:

I have never seen anyone say he can’t play in CBH system but I definitely will take your word for it. I’ve heard people question is talent based on the previous administration recruiting him which is ridiculous to me. I also have heard people wonder if he is the prototypical QB that these guys utilize, which historically I don’t think he typically get DT guys, but I believe that is more due to the type of recruits available to him and a big assumption tbh.

Why do people like to conflate legitimate football discussion as somehow "being mean" about a kid?

Every offensive coach, particularly one who both PLAYED and COACHED the position of QB, is going to have their "type" of player preference at the QB position for their desired and preferred system. His offensive system utilizes more pro-style sets than most current college offenses. His offense has never put emphasis on the QB running or scrambling, and it is quite obvious by the players that they have offered since coming here (in combination with what he fielded at Boise State) that his "TYPE" is the traditional 6'3+ "Pro Style" quarterback. I have not seen them offer a single QB that is even 6'0, let alone under that.

Now, as it relates to Dee Davis....here are the points to consider:

1) He was inherited by Harsin. Not recruited by him. Given what we've seen in QB recruiting so far, had Harsin been the coach last year I don't believe that Davis would have been our target or signee in this past class.

2) Harsin has no allegiance towards Davis. He is kind of stuck with Bo Nix (for now) because that is what we have, but as a true freshman Dee Davis isn't guaranteed anything - especially as an inherited player who quite obviously doesn't fit his "type" at the position. By the time Dee Davis is expected to play, Harsin will have already brought in more of HIS actual hand-picked guys.

3) We are actively looking for a transfer at the QB position. If you consider the talk about TJ Finley, you are looking at a 6'6 kid with a huge arm (a Pro-Style type...just like all the other targets!) who has a lot of eligibility left. Again, this ties into the last part of point #2, but working against Dee Davis is the reality that he is kind of battling from a point of weakness while there also being a LOT of scenarios where someone else - like a Finley - or even a Holden Geriner - laps him on the QB pecking order.

Now, none of that means that Davis won't get a fair shot or that he can't do it or that he's incapable - but you need to look at this from a point of reality with regards to a new coach coming in and implementing a totally different offensive system and what this means for inherited players that don't necessarily fit the typical mould. One of Davis' best qualities is his running ability...well...Harsin isn't going to play him because he runs better than anyone else on the roster. Davis has shown to be accurate, but he isn't known to have a huge arm. There is nothing wrong with that, but given what I've seen so far, arm-strength and pure "arm talent" is going to be something that they look for - on top of prototypical height. These are qualities that Davis obviously doesn't "wow" in. Does that mean that he has no shot or that he'll never play? Absolutely not, but I've seen a lot of people talk as if it's a near lock that he's the "next guy up" when in reality his path to starting at Auburn is actually quite complicated. Harsin isn't going to play him because a bunch of people on the internet are expecting that to be the case, or because he broke some Texas HS records.

Also, your point about him not using dual-threat quarterbacks because he couldn't get them at Boise is negated by the actual QB's we have been recruiting here at Auburn since he came in. See: Holden Geriner. See: TJ Finley. In June we are hosting 2023 QB Eli Holstein who is rumored to be "near the top of the board" for 2023 - he's another 6'3 Pro-Style kid. They haven't offered a single QB who runs a lot.

[DAG 33,997]

6 hours ago, metafour said:

Why do people like to conflate legitimate football discussion as somehow "being mean" about a kid?

Every offensive coach, particularly one who both PLAYED and COACHED the position of QB, is going to have their "type" of player preference at the QB position for their desired and preferred system. His offensive system utilizes more pro-style sets than most current college offenses. His offense has never put emphasis on the QB running or scrambling, and it is quite obvious by the players that they have offered since coming here (in combination with what he fielded at Boise State) that his "TYPE" is the traditional 6'3+ "Pro Style" quarterback. I have not seen them offer a single QB that is even 6'0, let alone under that.

Now, as it relates to Dee Davis....here are the points to consider:

1) He was inherited by Harsin. Not recruited by him. Given what we've seen in QB recruiting so far, had Harsin been the coach last year I don't believe that Davis would have been our target or signee in this past class.

2) Harsin has no allegiance towards Davis. He is kind of stuck with Bo Nix (for now) because that is what we have, but as a true freshman Dee Davis isn't guaranteed anything - especially as an inherited player who quite obviously doesn't fit his "type" at the position. By the time Dee Davis is expected to play, Harsin will have already brought in more of HIS actual hand-picked guys.

3) We are actively looking for a transfer at the QB position. If you consider the talk about TJ Finley, you are looking at a 6'6 kid with a huge arm (a Pro-Style type...just like all the other targets!) who has a lot of eligibility left. Again, this ties into the last part of point #2, but working against Dee Davis is the reality that he is kind of battling from a point of weakness while there also being a LOT of scenarios where someone else - like a Finley - or even a Holden Geriner - laps him on the QB pecking order.

Now, none of that means that Davis won't get a fair shot or that he can't do it or that he's incapable - but you need to look at this from a point of reality with regards to a new coach coming in and implementing a totally different offensive system and what this means for inherited players that don't necessarily fit the typical mould. One of Davis' best qualities is his running ability...well...Harsin isn't going to play him because he runs better than anyone else on the roster. Davis has shown to be accurate, but he isn't known to have a huge arm. There is nothing wrong with that, but given what I've seen so far, arm-strength and pure "arm talent" is going to be something that they look for - on top of prototypical height. These are qualities that Davis obviously doesn't "wow" in. Does that mean that he has no shot or that he'll never play? Absolutely not, but I've seen a lot of people talk as if it's a near lock that he's the "next guy up" when in reality his path to starting at Auburn is actually quite complicated. Harsin isn't going to play him because a bunch of people on the internet are expecting that to be the case, or because he broke some Texas HS records.

Also, your point about him not using dual-threat quarterbacks because he couldn't get them at Boise is negated by the actual QB's we have been recruiting here at Auburn since he came in. See: Holden Geriner. See: TJ Finley. In June we are hosting 2023 QB Eli Holstein who is rumored to be "near the top of the board" for 2023 - he's another 6'3 Pro-Style kid. They haven't offered a single QB who runs a lot.

Well we can’t completely negate that point as he and Bobo offered Jacurri Brown quite early when they got here. So that’s just not true that they haven’t offered a single QB who runs a lot.  He actually had more running attempts than passes. Now if you want to argue that they didn’t make him as much of priority as Miami that is a different story, although E has said he is a top priority for this coaching staff as late as March.

 

Edited May 14, 2021 by DAG

[cole256 17,084]

Doubt if they look at it as does he run alot. I'm sure all coaches would pick a guy with athleticism as opposed to without it. You have to be able to throw too.

 

And didn't we go after that gunner guy that committed to uga. And Braden Davies?

Edited May 14, 2021 by cole256

[DAG 33,997]

6 hours ago, metafour said:

Why do people like to conflate legitimate football discussion as somehow "being mean" about a kid?

Every offensive coach, particularly one who both PLAYED and COACHED the position of QB, is going to have their "type" of player preference at the QB position for their desired and preferred system. His offensive system utilizes more pro-style sets than most current college offenses. His offense has never put emphasis on the QB running or scrambling, and it is quite obvious by the players that they have offered since coming here (in combination with what he fielded at Boise State) that his "TYPE" is the traditional 6'3+ "Pro Style" quarterback. I have not seen them offer a single QB that is even 6'0, let alone under that.

Now, as it relates to Dee Davis....here are the points to consider:

1) He was inherited by Harsin. Not recruited by him. Given what we've seen in QB recruiting so far, had Harsin been the coach last year I don't believe that Davis would have been our target or signee in this past class.

2) Harsin has no allegiance towards Davis. He is kind of stuck with Bo Nix (for now) because that is what we have, but as a true freshman Dee Davis isn't guaranteed anything - especially as an inherited player who quite obviously doesn't fit his "type" at the position. By the time Dee Davis is expected to play, Harsin will have already brought in more of HIS actual hand-picked guys.

3) We are actively looking for a transfer at the QB position. If you consider the talk about TJ Finley, you are looking at a 6'6 kid with a huge arm (a Pro-Style type...just like all the other targets!) who has a lot of eligibility left. Again, this ties into the last part of point #2, but working against Dee Davis is the reality that he is kind of battling from a point of weakness while there also being a LOT of scenarios where someone else - like a Finley - or even a Holden Geriner - laps him on the QB pecking order.

Now, none of that means that Davis won't get a fair shot or that he can't do it or that he's incapable - but you need to look at this from a point of reality with regards to a new coach coming in and implementing a totally different offensive system and what this means for inherited players that don't necessarily fit the typical mould. One of Davis' best qualities is his running ability...well...Harsin isn't going to play him because he runs better than anyone else on the roster. Davis has shown to be accurate, but he isn't known to have a huge arm. There is nothing wrong with that, but given what I've seen so far, arm-strength and pure "arm talent" is going to be something that they look for - on top of prototypical height. These are qualities that Davis obviously doesn't "wow" in. Does that mean that he has no shot or that he'll never play? Absolutely not, but I've seen a lot of people talk as if it's a near lock that he's the "next guy up" when in reality his path to starting at Auburn is actually quite complicated. Harsin isn't going to play him because a bunch of people on the internet are expecting that to be the case, or because he broke some Texas HS records.

Also, your point about him not using dual-threat quarterbacks because he couldn't get them at Boise is negated by the actual QB's we have been recruiting here at Auburn since he came in. See: Holden Geriner. See: TJ Finley. In June we are hosting 2023 QB Eli Holstein who is rumored to be "near the top of the board" for 2023 - he's another 6'3 Pro-Style kid. They haven't offered a single QB who runs a lot.

I will say you have a great point with TJ. I find it quite interesting that they are going to bat for this young kid , who could come in, compete and be an instant starter for this coaching staff. At least that’s what they are selling and I believe that would be the case with these guys. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

17 hours ago, W.E.D said:

I'm not sure how you could see his hands

If you see a guy holding a football, then you can tell whether his hands are small are not. 

[aubiefifty 16,816]

On 5/13/2021 at 8:04 AM, Zeek said:

Coach Zeek's Analysis:

One of the first things often mentioned about Dematrius Davis is his height or lack thereof. For what it's worth, he's listed as an even 6-foot tall on Auburn's official roster; it's not completely unrealistic to think a kid who left high school early is still growing a little. Regardless of height he played at an incredibly high level in Texas high school football against tough competition. Coming out as the winningest quarterback in the history of the storied state.

That's right Auburn Family... another quarterback from Texas.

Watching his high school film there are some things that stand out immediately that should please Auburn fans:

• Dee (the name he goes by mostly on social media) displays solid accuracy on a wide variety of throws and from different platforms.
• It's noticeable that he does a solid job of stepping up in the pocket.
• He has the unique ability for a freshman of keeping his eyes down field while avoiding defenders in & out of the pocket.
• Truly he's not a run-first quarterback but it's clear that when he does take off he's a threat; with the added bonus he's got the bulk to take some hits.
• There's times in his high school film where you can see him going through progressions.
• He's a champion level player. I've always felt that getting quarterbacks who have won state is important; while it's not everything it shows that kid can play in the biggest games and come out on top. Also, it typically speaks to their leadership and mentality as well.
• Squares his shoulders well even while on the run.
• Doesn't force a lot of 50-50 balls
• Sets his feet and steps into throws even when on the run.
• His ball/pump fakes are really good

Watching his A-Day film there's some deficiencies to be worked on as well:

• It appears that he's either locking onto one target (could be nerves or coaching decision to give him one read).
• His "carriage" or where he holds the ball is a little low. It's not terrible but I think it's part of the reason his delivery isn't as fast as it could be. Stat Tiger shows the perfect example of how that can give a defender time to adjust and react.
• He's got to speed up his clock a little bit but adjusting to college-speed is normal.
• Harsin's offense has more checks and reads from the little bit I've gotten to see. This will take time for any high school quarterback to adjust to especially in-game.

Overall I think he has a high upside but he's going to have to make some strides to ever be a QB1 for Auburn. He has an uphill battle in the sense that he doesn't fit the mold of the kind of quarterback our staff seems interested in using and recruiting. If you look at who the staff has targeted in the 2022/2023 class and the recent 2021 transfer target (Finley from LSU) they're almost all pro-style quarterbacks with prototypical height (6'4" or taller). It's my belief that Harsin and Bobo will continue to transition us to a more pocket-passer trend similar to what Bobo had at Georgia.

I implore fans not to look at Dematrius running abilities and immediately label him inaccurate (a label almost automatically applied to dual-threat quarterbacks). His completion percentages in high school were incredible considering the level of competition and types of throws he routinely attempts. Can't find the exact percentage right now but if I recall correctly it was over 65%.

Though I don't picture Dee unseating Bo this year or next I think that he's a valuable piece to Auburn's future. He's an incredibly talented quarterback, an intelligent young man, and an absolute gamer with an experience and expectation of winning. He should be our true QB2 this year (barring a transfer) and I would love to see him get meaningful reps running the entire offense against some of our easier opponents this year. Would like to see the staff give him the second half against Akron, Alabama State, and Georgia State while actually allowing him to throw and develop. Then use his fourth game against an SEC team that we (hopefully) get a big enough lead against; maybe Arkansas, Mississippi State, or South Carolina. While a redshirt may not be necessary, I never see the point in wasting a year of eligibility if not necessary. Hoping this staff does a much better job of utilizing this 4-game-redshirt rule (one of the few good decisions by the NCAA).

War Eagle and I look forward to making more posts like this about the rest of the 2021 class including transfers!

 

zeek you have come a long way from the cat who let the c word slip on here during a game thread and got away with it. grins this article has some great stuff and i am impressed. maybe you should do a thread yourself. of course i did a wake and bake so there is that. again i am impressed. i never saw it coming

 

[oracle79 3,569]

21 hours ago, cole256 said:

or now with the b.s.hand size thing he fumbles or something

As long as it isn't a backwards pass, I'm good. Wait, how big were JJ's hands? 😅