Lawton’s Davis burst onto scene after his move to RB
Miles Davis spends so much time on YouTube he nearly psyched himself out on the football field.
He had seen one running back after another be leveled by a tackler. He watched it happen at all levels. It looked unpleasant.
So, when Lawton coach Randy Breeze approached Davis about switching to running back for the first time in his life last year, Davis hesitated.
“I was scared, because I didn’t want to get hit,” Davis said. “I knew it was going to hurt.”
But what Davis didn’t realize is that he has the kryptonite to big hits from bigger defenders — his speed. A 5-foot10, 160-pound running
back and defensive back, Davis took the state by storm last fall in his first season as the Wolverines' primary ball carrier.
Davis wowed Lawton fans and coaches with his playmaking ability. He frustrated opponents who failed to catch him. And he caught the attention of college recruiters, which is why he is No. 27 on The Oklahoman’s Super 30 rankings of the state’s top college recruits in the 2019 class.
“I didn’t know I was going to be good where I could not get tackled, spin and do everything else,” Davis said. “I get nervous before I play. I think me being nervous helps me. I’m being more cautious when I run the ball. But it was just natural.”
Davis dazzled his way to 2,383 yards and 32 touchdowns while averaging 7.8 yards per carry. He also remained at defensive back, intercepting a pass.
That has led to scholarship offers from Arkansas-Pine Bluff and several Division II schools. Other Division I schools have shown interest, but Davis said his grades have been a concern. He said he didn’t take them seriously as a freshman, but he is working to recover.
Breeze is still flabbergasted by Davis’ lack of recruiting attention.
“I know Miles Davis can play Division I football, but for some reason or another he doesn’t have many offers,” Breeze said. “He has some, but not as many as I think he should have.”
Grades aside, recruiters are also struggling to determine where Davis fits on the field.
Is he a running back or a slot receiver? Or, is he a defensive back? He’s shown huge playmaking ability at each position.
“It depends on that team’s needs,” Breeze said. “He is a very physical running back and he can take 40 carries. Because of his size, some people don’t believe that. He can play running back, he can play slot receiver and be the Wes Welker with great speed and great athletic ability and he will make things happen.
“On top of that, he can play corner and safety.”
Davis said he just wants to be on the field somewhere. Until recently, he never believed that would be at running back.
He thought running backs needed to be bigger than what he measures, though he’s the tallest member of his family. He wasn’t sure he had the speed, either.
But if he gets better and improves his grades, his goal is likely to happen.
“I’ve got find a way to get their attention, which is going big,” Davis said. “I’ve got to work on my speed because I’m small, right? I need to get faster and a little bit bigger and I think that’ll get their attention.”