4-Star WR Drake Davis Giving Up Football to Focus on Soccer
Coveted wide receiver prospect Drake Davis has elected to invest his talents in another sport.
The 4-star 2016 recruit who holds offers from the likes of Alabama, Miami, Virginia Tech and Florida State is focused on furthering his soccer career and won't play football this fall, according to Ryan Bartow of 247Sports.
Davis, a Louisiana native who attends Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, is rated 10th nationally among 2016 receivers in 247Sports' composite rankings. Despite lofty expectations in football, he's opted to follow a different path that will certainly surprise several college coaches across the country.
“This is a decision he made in the spring, and he’s stuck with it,” Fork Union football coach Brian Hurlocker told Bartow.
You won't see Davis running routes this autumn, but he flashed evidence of his impressive skill set during a successful underclassman career.
Davis was a 2013 Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 2A All-State honorable mention last season. He played for Dunham High School in Baton Rouge and also gained accolades following performances in camp settings.
It didn't take long for Davis to gain a reputation as one of the true athletic freaks in his class. He broke down those abilities during an August conversation with Mark Clements of NOLA.com: "I honestly don't think there's anyone like me. No one. I can do a whole bunch of things. There aren't many 6'5" receivers that run a 4.35. I'm very fast and agile. I can play any position, really. There's not many receivers that can do that."
Davis certainly has the talent to still pursue a career in college football, and with another year of high school ahead of him it would be foolish to rule out a possible return next fall. However, his opportunities won't exactly dwindle if he sticks with soccer.
He is also viewed as a Division I soccer recruit, per Bartow.
Though his attention is currently turned away from the gridiron, don't be shocked if Davis does indeed end up signing with a college football program in February 2016. You can be sure recruiting departments will continue to keep tabs on him, and new scholarship offers could arrive despite his absence from the field.
For now, the elite receiver has decided he doesn't need to use his hands in order to excel in athletics.