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Braden Davis, Quarterback
6’6” 190lbs
Rivals Rating = 5.6 / 3 star
Quarterback Braden Davis is a 3 star prospect from Middletown, Delaware and is the only commitment in the 2022 recruiting class from the state of Delaware. According to his prospect profile, he was recruited by offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield and special teams coordinator Pete Lembo. This is the second year in a row the Gamecock staff has gained a Delaware commitment, after landing freshman linebacker Debo Williams in the 2021 class as a transfer.
Davis stands at 6 feet 6 inches and weighs 190 pounds. He doesn’t directly compare to any current Gamecocks, but would fall somewhere in between quarterbacks Luke Doty and Colton Gauthier. Davis didn’t often play against high level competition, but he does flash plenty of skill and ability, and has been gifted with a tall frame that professional teams tend to prefer.
What stands out the most when watching Davis’ film is his awareness of what’s happening around him. He has enough speed and elusiveness to scramble, while also possessing a strong arm with the ability to complete nearly all throws. Davis is always looking downfield to make the throw, but he doesn’t force it if the opportunity isn’t there. If the easy throw is underneath that allows the drive to continue, he’ll look to complete that play as opposed to taking a big shot.
According to Rivals, Davis collected a total of 26 offers ranging from all over the United States. SEC offers included Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. Davis finished the year rated 5.6 and ranked as the state of Delaware’s 2nd best prospect. The 3 star rating can be considered fair, due to the high school competition level Davis faced. It is difficult to gage how well quarterbacks will perform at the next level, as the quarterback position requires a certain amount of mental preparedness. However, Davis does exhibit the physical qualities needed to excel at quarterback.
Davis will enter the Carolina quarterback room in an ideal situation. He’ll be allowed time to develop, learn the playbook, tune his body, and adjust to the speed of the game. With three talented quarterbacks already on the roster with college experience, playing time is not expected for Davis in 2022. The talent that Davis displays is undeniable. As with Carolina’s other player from Delaware - Debo Williams - the staff may have found another diamond out of the northeast.