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Lovie Smith and the Fighting Illini secured a late flip from three-star defensive end Cooper Davis. Why so late? Glad you asked...
From TCR’s brief last week:
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Florida native was previously committed to Missouri before head coach Barry Odom was relieved of his duties. Davis also held offers from Tennessee, West Virginia, Minnesota, and Georgia Tech.
#littyville #Illinois #fightingIllini pic.twitter.com/uSrt4WWXdL
— Cooper Davis (@CooperrDavis) December 11, 2019
Mizzou losing a reruit to Illinois. I’ll take “Things You Just Hate To See” for $1,000, Alex.
Davis — the 46th-rated “strong side” defensive end prospect — is from Viera High School in Melbourne, Florida, and had also received offers from Tennessee, West Virginia, UCF, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Rutgers and Minnesota, among others.
There’s plenty to work with when it comes to Davis. He has a long, lean 6-foot-5 frame with plenty of room to fill out and gain weight. He makes up for his lack of top-of-the-scale speed by utilizing his leverage and sound technique.
The Illinois coaching staff has made a concerted effort to augment the defensive line with this 2020 class. Davis looks to be a depth piece for now but fits the mold of an athletic, projectable edge rusher.