Saturday Down South Top 20 Players Of 2011 – Pre Season Edition – No. 3

Published April 1, 2011 - 5:19am

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Saturday Down South is continually counting down the top 20 players in the SEC for 2011 – pre-season style!

Knile Davis – No. 3

Going into 2010, everyone knew Arkansas desperately needed a tailback who could add another dimension to Bobby Petrino’s dynamic passing offense, but in a crowded backfield, no one wanted to separate himself from the pack.

Midway through the season, it clicked for young Knile Davis. He is still underrated; however, now, mostly everyone knows his name and his ability to change a game. He really came into his own, and sometimes it just takes talented players longer to mature and really grasp the offense at a macro and micro-level.

Davis was not highly recruited out of Missouri City, Texas, and was passed up by in-state powerhouse Texas Longhorns – which is ironic because they haven’t had a running back in that program that could hold Davis’ jockstrap in several years.

In the first half of the 2010 season, Davis had 44 carries for 294 yards and 0 touchdowns. He was an adequate running back in a backfield that included USC transfer Broderick Green and Ronnie Wingo, Jr.

However, midway through the season, it did indeed click for Davis. In his last seven games, including the Sugar Bowl, Davis toted the rock 160 times for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns – averaging 6.4 yards per carry and almost 150 yards per game during that time.

Davis brings a little different dimension to the game with his speed and his run-straight-at-you mentality. Davis does not dance in the hole, nor does he wait until one opens up – he just is full-speed ahead. He has enough power to break a few tackles in short-yardage situations, and he absolutely is a home run threat every time he touches the football.

So, for 2011, I fully expect Davis to be a top-three running back in this league. The offense is perfect for him because the Razorbacks are a pass-heavy offense. There is a ton of talent surrounding Davis on the offense, and if Arkansas can get just an adequate quarterback to run it, the Hogs will be scary good.

Just like the second half of 2010, the Razorbacks now have the perfect change-up at running back in the form of talented junior Knile Davis.

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