Georgia Tech Football: Five Impact Players 2015 - LB PJ Davis

Career at Tech

PJ Davis has been defying the doubters since the moment he stepped onto the Flats. Davis came in as a last-second flip from his only other FBS offer (Temple). Davis was a two-star recruit who came in at just 5'10" 200 lbs., which is very undersized for a linebacker. Did that stop him from trying his hardest? Absolutely not. In an interview, Davis told the reporter, "Coach Johnson asked me if I thought I would be able to play at their level, and I told him I would be the best player they signed this year."

Needless to say, he hasn't been far off with that bold proclamation. Though the rest of the class also hasn't made it very hard for him. Of the 14 commitments from that class, only eight remain, though a few of them are likely candidates to start. Even so, Davis has had no issue proving that he is the best player in this class.

In his freshman season, Davis played in 13 games while donning the number of Georgia Tech favorite Julian Burnett, a similarly-sized linebacker. The size and number were not the only things Davis has proved to have in common with Burnett. In his 13 games, Davis finished with 41 tackles, good for eighth on the team and first among non-starters. He also added 5.0 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery.

The next season (last season), Davis only continued to progress after winning the starting job. You could say he finished this season pretty well. He led the team in tackles with 119, while also having 8.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He even took a Michael Brewer interception to the house. And just for the heck of it, here it is.

This Season

Honestly, I don't see why this season will be any different. Quayshawn Nealy has graduated, so that just means the Davis is the unquestioned leader of the linebackers. Right now, it's still pretty up in the air as to who will be starting next to him, but one thing is certain: Davis will play.

The only thing that he could really stand to work on is his coverage abilities. He's not the greatest in coverage, but when he can hit people as hard as he can and play excellent rush defense, he doesn't really need to be.

What do you expect from PJ Davis this season?