How Ray Davis' unique path to Kentucky football prepared him to fight for starting RB job

LEXINGTON — Ray Davis wants to make one thing perfectly clear about his role within Kentucky's football program: He's not Chris Rodriguez's heir.

Rodriguez, who now is preparing for the NFL draft, left Kentucky with 3,644 career rushing yards, the third-best mark in school history behind Benny Snell (3,873) and Sonny Collins (3,835).

But Davis is no stranger to notable feats. He spent the last two seasons at Vanderbilt where he became just the seventh player in the program's history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Long the SEC's weakest link, the Commodores went 7-17 overall, with two conference wins, during his time there. Other Power Five schools took notice of his production. And there were lessons in the losses, too.

With the Wildcats, the fifth-year senior looks to use what he's learned to help bring a conference title back to Lexington — while continuing his journey of self improvement.

"People want to say that I'm 'coming in to replace C-Rod.' I'm not coming in and replacing that,'" Davis told The Courier Journal in a recent phone interview. "You can't replace that. You can't replace someone who is going to be in the history books forever. All I can do is try to add to that."

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'Tough times taught me a lot'

Davis said he talked with 11 schools on his first official day in the transfer portal in early December and met with coaches from seven different universities the following week. For Davis, the notoriety was akin to a victory lap.

Upon graduation from Trinity-Pawling School, an all-boys prep school in Pawling, New York, Davis' grades held him back.

Between high school and his January arrival in Lexington, there were three stops for the now 23-year-old Davis: A post-grad year at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey, two seasons at Temple and the last two years at Vanderbilt.

During his two seasons playing for the Owls, in 2019 and 2020, he rushed for 1,259 yards and nine touchdowns (on 271 attempts) and caught 27 passes for 243 yards and two scores in 16 games.

And while victories were hard to come by at Vanderbilt, Davis was a key contributor in helping the program end its 26-game SEC losing streak, which had been the third-longest run of futility in league history. Ironically, it came at the expense of his new team: He rushed for 129 yards on 26 carries in the Commodores' 24-21 win over Kentucky at Kroger Field in November.

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"Those tough times taught me a lot," he said. "I never really looked at the record or nothing, because I knew the history of Vanderbilt. I never cared about their records, losing streaks — anything. The thing was that, whether we won or lost, guys still came to work every day. And they still worked hard.

"I think for me, if guys (at Kentucky) ever want to sit here and say, '(Dang), things are tough,' I would hope they still give it 100% no matter what. That's what I got from Vandy, and that's what I'm going to give to Kentucky."

Remaining in the conference was a major factor in Davis' decision to commit to the Wildcats.

"I just knew if I wanted to compete with the best and really test my skills as a player, staying in the SEC was a no-brainer," he said. "A majority of my offers came from the SEC, which was great because it showed my hard work paid off."

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'A package deal'

After such a stellar season at Vanderbilt, Davis left the Commodores with his sights set on being part of a program with a better shot at competing for an SEC championship — where playing in a bowl game is an annual expectation. A program that could prepare him for the NFL.

Davis said he and sixth-year senior quarterback Devin Leary, who transferred from N.C. State to Kentucky in December, discussed being "a package deal" for the Wildcats out of the portal.

"We talked about what we could do here as teammates," Davis said, "how we can come in and try to help these guys — these guys are already good, but come in and see what we could do with an already established roster."

Leary made his pledge public Dec. 20. Davis followed hours later.

"I think when you're in high school, the facilities and the uniforms, that all pops out to you first," Davis said. "But when you're an older guy, you've already been in college. You're making a decision now on how you fit an offensive scheme. Are you going to be able to go in and make an impact right away playing-wise? And how is that going to get you to the next level?"

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'Navigating my own path in life'

While the experienced 5-foot-10, 216-pound Davis feels UK can help him reach his goals, Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops also likes what Davis brings.

"He fits that mold of what we've been, how you need to have that tough, strong, physical guy," Stoops said in December. "... He's a proven player in the SEC. It's been a great addition."

UK offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who is back in Lexington after a one-year stint in the same capacity with the Los Angeles Rams, last month acknowledged he hadn't "been able to truly evaluate" the running back room as much as he'd like. He said the Wildcats could employ a by-committee approach in the backfield this fall, but hopes that doesn't happen.

"Ultimately, the best player is going to go out and play, regardless of year," Coen said. "Whoever you are, the best player is going to be the running back for us."

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That's Davis' aim. He wants to win the starting job but doesn't expect the role to be handed to him. He plans to put in the work.

"I've got to focus on being Ray Davis and let everything else take care of itself," he said. "I need to let people know the Ray Davis story. I'm navigating my own path in life."

Above all, Davis intends to enjoy his final season.

"I just want to play in another a bowl game," he said. "The last time I was at a bowl, it was my freshman year, and I loved every minute of it."

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Ray Davis' college football path has him positioned for success at UK