Jim McElwain already has four running backs on his current roster capable of doing damage. Now he’s got one more on the way in his 2017 recruiting class.
Malik Davis (Tampa, FL) committed to Florida this morning over USF and Miami. He replaces Adarius Lemons as the running back commit of the class, and gives the class its 15th overall commit.
Dont be fooled by Davis’s three star ranking, either. Davis has shot up the boards with an impressive season so far at Jesuit High School, displaying the vision needed to find holes and the acceleration to pull away from pursuing defenders. He’s patient at waiting for the hole to open up, and has great lateral movements, but at the same time he won’t dance around laterally more than he needs to; he’ll pick the biggest (or least small) gap and go north and south.
I’m most impressed by his ability to get yardage when there really isn’t much space to operate, which will be a necessity in the rugged SEC. He isn’t afraid to lower his head and get those tough yards despite being smaller in stature than most of the guys he’s going up against.
I do understand the concern with Florida suddenly landing three stars instead of five stars under McElwain, but Davis has the potential to be truly special. If he can grow a little bit more and make the always tough adjustment from high school ball to the SEC, the Gators will have found a gem.
