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(*Editor's note...What the heck does "Commitment to Eight" mean? It is our new recurring title for recruit commitments referencing a commitment to work towards the Gopher's Eighth National Championship.)
Over the weekend Gopher Football received a much needed addition to the class of 2017 when Ben Davis took an official visit to Minneapolis and decided he wanted to Row the Boat.
Davis is a JUCO offensive lineman who just completed his freshman season out at American River in Northern California. He was a full academic qualifier out of high school which means he can transfer out of JUCO after his freshman season and comes to Minnesota with 4 years to play 3 (much like Cody Poock and Briean Boddy-Calhoun).
He will be on campus officially in May and ready to enroll in Summer classes and eligible to play immediately.
An Elite weekend with elite people!!! I am a Golden Gopher! Ski-U-Mah! RTB! @4Warinner @Coach_Ohout @GopherFootball @LinemenWinGames pic.twitter.com/pEHoAlZdgc
— Ben Davis (@b_71_d) April 9, 2017
Quotables
Ryan Burns of GopherIllustrated ($cout).
"I'll be enrolling at Minnesota on May 22nd and will start summer classes then," Davis said. "I also had offers from Nevada-Reno and Old Dominion, but I'm very happy to be spending my next four years at Minnesota. I want fans to know that I'm extremely excited to be a part of the Gopher community and that there is going to be big things happening soon for our football program!"
Measurables
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 275 lbs.
Fake 40 Time: like it matters
Power 5 Offers: none
JUCO Freshman highlights:
TDG Analysis
In Two Words - if you have to remember just two things about this player...
- Position Flexibility
- Lean
Absurd Comparisons
Tommy Olson seems like an appropriate comparison. Davis is coming in with experience playing at Tackle, but more likely will be an interior lineman during his time at Minnesota.
Scheme Fit
Scheme? I don’t really know at this point. Davis is more on the athletic side than he is the mauler side and I see him getting out in space and blocking at the second level. More than anything we need offensive line depth immediately. Spring practice has been really just 4 or 5 healthy scholarship bodies available. By the time we get to Fall camp, there will be guys healthy from offseason surgeries, but more depth is going to be needed.
Impact on Other Prospects?
None, we need healthy bodies.