Jordan Davis, Georgia football’s senior nose tackle, had an explosive performance against the Clemson Tigers on Saturday, and the rest of the college football world took note.
Davis earned multiple player of the week honors on a conference and national scale. He earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor and was the SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week.
Against Clemson, he helped hold the Tigers to just two rushing yards all game, absolutely dominating their offensive line. Clemson didn’t know what to do with him, and even when he had two or three guys on him, Davis found ways to put pressure on D.J. Uiagalelei.
Davis recorded three tackles, two of them being tackles for loss, and he sacked Uiagalelei once. He would have had a few more sacks if it weren’t for him getting double or tripled teamed.
However, a guy at that position isn’t notorious for getting double-digit tackles a game. Nope, he is a background guy, or usually is, but if he continues to do what he did against Clemson, Davis will have quite a few people watching him.
He is the unsung hero — in my opinion, Davis knows his job and loves his job. Guys like him help make defenses successful. They are the hole-openers and get down and dirty for the linebackers to do what they do best.
To be selected by the Football Writers Association of America as Week 1’s Nagurski Defensive Player of the Week is huge, but also, it is well deserved for Davis. He is the heart and soul of the defensive front — the leader and the man who makes it happen for so many of the other guys.
From last year to this year, Davis has grown so much and seems so much quicker off the snap. He clearly has worked hard this offseason, and if he keeps this up, he will be a first-round draft pick.
Since arriving as a 247Sports 3-star, Davis’s sheer size has gotten people’s attention on top of his raw talent. Four years later, we are looking at a guy who still hasn’t hit his ceiling and continues to develop into one of the best nose tackles in the country.
If what we saw against Clemson continues throughout this season, Davis is on track to have a thrilling final season and a historical one at that. And as long as he stays healthy, I think Davis will really shock some people this season and prove he is one of the best.