How did Clemson freshman carve out role as starter? ‘He brings his best every day’
Like most college football fans, Tyler Davis watched last year’s national championship game on television.
Davis and the other Clemson mid-year enrollees poured into the Tigers’ football facility last January to watch the 44-16 win over Alabama for the school’s third national title.
This year, Davis has an up-close view of the action as Clemson goes for its second straight title Monday against LSU. The 6-foot-1, 290-pound defensive tackle is the lone freshman starter in the Tigers’ lineup on offense or defense.
“It was a fun night,” Davis said of watching the Tigers’ championship game this time a year ago. “To see them go through it and [now] going through it with these guys, it has all been very fast.”
Davis came in as a four-star recruit and No. 12 defensive tackle in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He became the first Clemson defensive tackle to start a season opener for Clemson since Jeff Mills in 1974.
This season Davis started in 12 of 14 games and logged 481 snaps, tops among Clemson freshmen. He had a season-high 74 snaps in the semifinal win over Ohio State. He finished with four tackles, one for loss, against the Buckeyes and has 48 for the season.
Last month, Davis was named to ESPN’s Freshman All-American Team.
“He brings his best every day and I’ve never seen a true freshman come in and do that,” Clemson defensive end Logan Rudolph said. “He picks up everything up immediately and puts the work in. The fruits of his labor are paying off and it shows on the field.”
Making an early impact isn’t new to Davis, who started as a freshman at Wekiva High School in Apopka, Florida.
When he arrived at Clemson, Davis had big shoes to fill on the Tigers’ defensive line with early departures to the NFL by Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence. He earned the nickname “Baby Dex” from physical and on-field comparisons to Lawrence, who just finished his rookie season with the New York Giants.
But he heeded the advice of the two first-round picks and made an impact with the coaches and teammates early in spring practice. Senior Nyles Pinckney, who plays next to Davis on the defensive line, knew almost immediately that Davis could play a big role in the Tigers’ line.
“You want to see someone get better and better, especially someone in your position and your room,” Pinckney said. “He wants to be one of the best defensive tackles in the country.
“He is a knowledgeable player and has a great football IQ — that is what puts him ahead of a lot of freshmen. A lot of freshmen come in and they think stats, stats. But he came in and it was how he could help the team within the scheme.”
Davis credits his knowledge of the game to his passion to play it and to his film study. The Florida native says he tries to watch as much film as he can, making way to the team facility when he has an extra 30 minutes or so to spare to brush up on that week’s opponent.
“I like being prepared,” Davis said, “study and try to look over everything. I just tried to come in and play a role, bring a lot of energy in the game. I think I have been able to do that.”
When does Clemson play LSU?
Who: Clemson vs. LSU
When: 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans
TV: ESPN
Betting line: LSU by 5.5
This story was originally published January 6, 2020 at 3:38 PM.
