Alliance head coach believes timing was right for Davis to pick YSU

Tim Goodman, the second-year Alliance head coach, understood how timing could be everything during the college recruiting process when he was a high school player at Copley.

That is why Goodman, a two-way lineman who eventually chose Walsh University and forged a solid career while playing for head coach Jim Dennison, understood the logic behind senior running back Kayden Davis' decision to verbally commit to Youngstown State University last spring, even though he is still months away from signing a national letter of intent.

"He wanted to eliminate any stress by having to pick one school over the other, so he could concentrate on his senior year," Goodman said.

Davis is the nephew of former Alliance standout Kendell Davis-Clark (2002-04), who later earned a starting safety spot at Michigan State.

At 6-1 and 205 pounds, Davis possesses ideal size and also the speed and vision necessary to attract power conference offers like his uncle received, but the recruiting dynamics are different these days.

"(Current) players are getting a sixth year of eligibility due to COVID (19) and due to the creation of the transfer portal, where Division I colleges are getting experienced players transferring from other (Division I) programs," Goodman said. "Those (issues) make recruiting more competitive and puts the (senior high school player) in a more uncertain status."

In two seasons with Alliance, Davis was productive offensively. He rushed for 935 yards (6.4 per carry) and nine touchdowns and added 30 receptions for 510 yards (17.0 per catch) and four scores as a sophomore in 2020. Following a slow start against formidable defenses his junior year, Davis amassed 843 yards on the ground (5.9 per carry) and 16 scores, including a 304-yard rushing effort in a 48-27 regular-season ending win over Marlington. He was also featured more as a receiver, recording 41 catches for 434 yards (10.4 per catch) and three six-pointers.

While the individual statistical spotlight shined on Davis, he credited any success to his teammates.

"Our line was young (in 2021), but it developed as a unit and did a great job blocking," Davis said. "We also had a good quarterback and good wide receivers (who) made plays and made it (more difficult) for defenses to focus on one player."

Davis' humility was one of several qualities that impressed Youngstown State head coach Doug Phillips during the recruiting process.

"Kayden is such a good, grounded kid and that really impressed Phillips, as well as his (potential) as a college player," Goodman said. "They have a very good (senior) running back (5-9, 155-pound Jaleel McLaughlin, who rushed for 1,139 yards last year), but they're looking for a bigger back and (Davis) fits that profile."

Youngstown State has fared well in the past with big running backs from the northeast part of Ohio. Canton McKinley's Adrian Brown was a 230-pounder who rushed for 3,907 yards and scored a school-record 55 touchdowns during his YSU career (1996-99). Youngstown South graduate Tamron Smith, a short (5-8) but muscular 210-pounder, set the school's all-time career rushing record with 4,866 yards and added 52 scores.

"Youngstown State has had great success with (big) running backs and (Davis) has the potential to join that group, but the most important thing to him right now is continuing to get better in all phases and help Alliance and his teammates win games in his final year," Goodman concluded

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Alliance running back Kayden Davis chose Youngstown State early