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South Florida native Jaden Davis is set to make his Miami Hurricanes debut next week, not only wearing a new uniform but doing it in front of the very community that watched him rise as a young athlete. The defensive back, who recently transferred from Oklahoma, spoke about his journey and what lies ahead in a media availability session yesterday.
A Heartfelt Homecoming
When asked about the significance of playing his first college game in his hometown, Davis couldn't hide his enthusiasm. "I mean just playing in front of my family and friends, you know that's something big for me and I'm a big family person," he stated. "Being able to play in front of my family and friends, along with my brothers, you know, guys that I grew up with like Daryl Porter, Davonte Brown, Damari Brown...just being able to play with them once again and being able to play in front of my friends and family, that's just exciting and I just can't wait."The Oklahoma to Miami Transition
Davis spoke about his transition from Oklahoma, where he played primarily as a cornerback, to his new team in Miami where he is expected to play multiple positions. "I mean it's a different role, playing different positions," Davis explained. "Whatever they ask me to play over here, whether that be corner, nickel, whatever they ask me to play, I'm down, I'm ready."Defensive Philosophies
The philosophies of his new defensive coordinators at Miami were also discussed. "It's just different philosophies, you know. Coach G (Guidry) and Coach Venables were both very, very smart and they're both into it, you know what I'm saying. But right now I'm with Coach G and Coach Cristobal and I'm just doing whatever they ask me to do."Taking on Miami's Offense in Practice
Davis commended Miami's offense, a unit he has practiced against throughout fall camp. "They're amazing. It's just so much speed on this team. You got Jacolby George, you got Ray Ray (Joseph), you got all types of speed on this team," he said. "I love the way this offense moves; it's very diverse. It makes me better as a player.""And then TVD, you know those guys, the QBs are always putting the ball on the money. I love the way this offense moves; it's very diverse. It makes me better as a player."
Broward County Brotherhood
With a strong presence of Broward County natives on the team, Davis spoke about the camaraderie among local players. "We're all brothers and we're all making each other better. It's really we're having fun. I know it's a competition, but it's all positive and it's been successful so far."Depth and Competition
Discussing the depth of Miami's defensive back room, Davis said, "The depth breeds competition between every position and it only makes you better. So I'm loving every part of it and I'm enjoying it."A Focus on Tackling
On the subject of tackling, an aspect of the game Davis has consistently excelled at, he emphasized its importance. "Me being a smaller guy, tackling is something big for me," Davis noted. "It's very important to any defense; you're able to limit explosives and things like that."A Seamless Transition Aided by Teammates and Coaches
Discussing his relatively smooth transition to Miami, Davis was effusive in his praise for his teammates and coaches, who have helped him acclimate in a very short period. "I mean you got guys like Kam Kinchens, James Williams that brought me along right away, you know what I'm saying," Davis expanded."I could have come in here and guys could have turned their heads, you know, and not tried to help me because I'm coming to bring more competition, but it was the exact opposite. Everyone here just was so welcoming. From the day I stepped on campus till now, guys have been helping me out whether I text Kam at eight o'clock at night or seven o'clock in the morning, he's going to answer. The same thing with James, the same thing with J, the same thing with Daryl; it's just all the guys have been so welcoming and made the process really easy."
He continued, "Along with the coaches— the coaches made it really easy to be successful in this program because they just make it easy, they make the program easy to be able to break it down for you."
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