UTC Mocs logoUTC football commitmentsKennington Cadwell (Columbia, Ga.) 6-6, 280 OLOctavious Davis (Oxford, Ala.) 6-2, 190 SC.J. Fritz (McCallie) 5-11, 170 DBMelvin Hill (Washington County) 5-8, 175 RBTavon Lawson (Munford, Ala.) 6-1, 190, SBailey Lenoir (East Hamilton) 6-4, 245 TEIsaiah Mack (Northwest Whitfield) 6-2, 260 DLMontrell Pardue (Clarksville Northeast) 6-0, 185 LB/SBranden Parker (Miller Grove, Ga.) 6-3, 250 OLCam Walker (McCallie) 6-4, 245 TE-OLTim Whatley (Columbus Carver) 6-0, 210 LB
While the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football staff is still recruiting quarterback options for the current recruiting class, the Mocs may have landed their future defensive signal caller Sunday.
Before ending his official weekend visit and returning home to Oxford (Ala.), free safety Octavious Davis (6-foot-2, 190) became the Mocs' 11th commitment, the third big-bodied safety commitment who could also grow into a linebacker.
"As good as he is physically, his best attribute is how cerebral he is," Oxford head coach Ryan Herring said. "We could put in any defensive change and he could handle it because he's got such a great football mind.
"He was in charge of keeping everybody lined up in the right spot. He was our quarterback on defense, and he's still got a lot of room to grow and fill out that big body and be a really special player. His best football is definitely ahead of him because he's going to be a big, physical safety or a fast outside linebacker who can prowl around and make plays all over the field."
Davis, who picked the Mocs over offers from Tennessee State, Jacksonville State, Tuskegee and Southeast Missouri State, was a ball-hawk for Oxford last season, making 104 total tackles, including 72 solo stops and 7.5 for loss. He also had eight pass break-ups and returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.
Also a track star who competes in both the 100- and 200-meter events, Davis has been consistently timed at 4.5 in the 40-yard dash.
"I feel like their style of defense will be a great fit for me," said Davis, who also has a 3.1 grade-point average and said he has canceled all other planned visits. "I feel like their program is on the rise, and I want to be a part of helping them win a national championship.
"The first thing I noticed when I got there is how nice everybody around the program is. It felt like a big family, like a home away from home and I knew it was the best place for me."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.