The South Carolina football program has put together one of their top recruiting classes in recent years for the 2023 recruiting cycle. While the recruiting rankings are ever-changing, according to industry leaders on3 and 247Sports, Shane Beamer and company have found themselves firmly inside the top-20 since the Early Signing Period ended.
One of the players in this class is DL Elijah Davis, who signed with South Carolina during the Early Signing Period.
Position: DL
Recruiting Ranking: 4 Stars (on3 JuCo rankings, 247 JuCo rankings, ESPN JuCo rankings); 3 Stars (Rivals JuCo rankings)
Measurables: 6’3”; 280 pounds?
Former Player Comp: Keir Thomas
Some mystery surrounds the commitment of East Mississippi Community College and Wagener-Salley alum Elijah Davis. While the recruiting industry is relatively united in their support of Davis as a top prospect, his size has been reported as ranging anywhere from 6’2” to 6’4” in height and 260 pounds to 305 pounds in weight. Clearly these distinctions matter as his future positioning will be heavily influenced by his size.
On film, Davis is a clear difference-maker. He combines size (even if his exact size is unclear) with impressive athleticism. In high school, he demonstrated this versatility by playing all over the field as a defensive lineman, outside linebacker, mike linebacker, wide receiver, and tight end. While he is pretty clearly going to be a defensive lineman at Carolina, it remains to be seen whether he is a tackle, an end, or a hybrid who cross-trains at both spots.
Former Gamecock lineman Keir Thomas is the easy comparison for Davis. Thomas bounced between defensive end and defensive tackle during his career at South Carolina. Davis’ first step is quick (like Thomas’), and both players do well utilizing their hands to shed blockers at the point of attack.
Because the current South Carolina listing of Davis reports him as 6’3” and 262 pounds, defensive end seems to be his immediate assignment. Flashing above average pass rushing moves in his junior college film, Davis quickly could be an impact player at South Carolina, especially with the departures of ends Jordan Burch and Gilber Edmond in the transfer portal (to Oregon and Florida State, respectively). With three years to play two at Carolina, Defensive Line Coach Jimmy Lindsey and Defensive Ends/Outside Linebackers Coach Sterling Lucas will be expecting Davis to contribute early on in his tenure in Columbia.
While uncertainty about his true size and position still exist (and probably will until spring practice), it is a safe prediction to conclude that Elijah Davis will make his mark on the Gamecock football program sooner rather than later.