2024 QB Jadyn Davis discusses first visit to Tennessee
2024 quarterback Jadyn Davis had scheduled a visit to see Tennessee back in June.
But Davis didn't want to let the kids down at the camp his Catawba Ridge High School in Fort Mill, South Carolina was hosting. So, Davis rescheduled his visit with the Vols for the final week of July, and when he finally reached Rocky Top on Wednesday, he wasn't disappointed.
“It was a great experience," Davis told Volquest. “I got to see campus, talk to academic people and see the business and communications building. Got to meet with the coaches, including (quarterbacks) Coach (Joey) Halzle and Coach (Josh) Heupel. I also got to take pictures and just take in the whole student-athlete experience.”
Spending time with Heupel and Halzle were the highlight of Davis' trip. Particularly how he was shown how he would be developed if he were to come to Tennessee.
“I loved Coach Heupel," Davis said. "He’s a cool dude who keeps it real and fun. He’s very competitive and I love that.
“Coach Halzle was great. He showed me how he develops quarterbacks, like he would show how a quarterback was the previous season and then how once they got there, how they worked in the offseason and the season following. I saw the improvement in the quarterback play.”
Davis is one of the top up-and-coming gunslingers in the country. Despite only having played a freshman season of high school football, he's already committed to play in the 2024 All-American Bowl.
At 6-foot, 186-pounds, Davis plays in a very similar offense to that of Tennessee's. Heupel highlighted that during his trip to Knoxville.
“They showed me the UCF tape and how much they involved RPO in the offense," Davis said. "And my high school head coach loves the RPO game, so they love that about me. The charism about the way I play the game. They think I fit their like a hand in a glove, a perfect fit.”
Tennessee was Davis' second-to-last stop before shutting the summer down to focus on the upcoming season. After visiting Penn State on Sunday, Davis will fly out to Ohio State on Thursday morning.
During June, he visited Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Oklahoma and Maryland. Being that he's still so early in his recruitment, Davis is "keeping everybody on the same playing field" following his summer full of visits.
The Vols will definitely be a team that Davis keeps an eye on moving forward and one that he believes he'll consider long-term.
"They showed me everything I wanted to see, so they’re definitely a school I would consider," Davis said. "The new coaching staff has brought a new mindset, so I’d love to see them win games. I want to go to a school to where I can compete to win a National Championship. Coach (Heupel) wants me to come back up for a game this fall and for a basketball game in the offseason so we can just hang out.”
In the mean time, Davis' individual goal for the upcoming season is to win the Gatorade Player of the Year as a sophomore in the state of South Carolina.
"It’s a big goal, but I feel like it’s a goal I can obtain in our offense.”