'They believe in me': Alliance football star Kayden Davis commits to Youngstown State

ALLIANCE– All it took was one team to believe in Kayden Davis.

As soon as Youngstown State University offered a scholarship to the Alliance High School running back, he was all in.

After speaking to head coach Doug Phillips and some of his assistant coaches for the first time, Davis verbally committed to play football for the Penguins. He announced his decision Monday morning on Twitter just minutes after YSU offered him.

“As soon he said it, he asked how I felt. I said I’m committing,” Davis said after his meeting with Phillips. “I already felt that I was at home just by talking to him.”

Throughout the recruiting process, Davis felt he was slept on by certain schools, mainly in the Mid-American Conference. Davis had only one Division I offer prior to YSU, which was Buffalo. Davis also had a pair of Division II offers.

Unfortunately, his recruiting options took a hit after schools focused on the transfer portal. Waiting was not an option for the soon-to-be senior. Once the YSU coaches watched Davis’ film, they were sold.

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"That was the only team that believed in me and my talents. Other colleges looked over me," Davis said to The Canton Repository on Monday afternoon. “All I was waiting for is a team that believed in me. That’s all I was waiting for, and as soon as Youngstown State came in, they believe in me and my talent. That’s what I needed. I need that to know where I should be at.”

YSU is familiar with Alliance players. The Penguins' roster includes former Aviator quarterback Brandon Alexander, who is not only Davis’ former high school teammate but also his close friend. That factored in his decision. Alexander was a two-star dual-threat quarterback who led Alliance to three consecutive playoff berths and three league titles.

In his junior season last fall, Davis led Alliance with 1,277 total yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns. Davis is rated as a three-star running back according to 247 Sports and is on the USA Today Network's Greater Akron/Canton list of top players in the 2023-25 classes.

Despite his impressive numbers, Alliance went 3-7 in 2021. He is confident that he, along with quarterback Brendan Zurbrugg, can turn the program around and make a run in the playoffs.

“I feel it’s going to be a turnaround season for us,” Davis said. “We were young last year with new coaches, but everything was clicking. That’s our goal. It's to make the playoffs.

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Individually, with his college decision out of the way, Davis still has some weight on his shoulders. He wants his final year at Alliance to be a prove-it year to all the schools that overlooked him. He wants to break school rushing records and is aiming for a 2,000-yard season.

“I know that I am a top player, but I just got to prove everyone wrong,” Davis said.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Alliance football's Kayden Davis commits to Youngstown State football