Ray Davis says Nashville was about country music, Lexington is about football

With the quotes that you’re about to read, Kentucky running back Ray Davis is sure to become a fan favorite in Lexington this fall. The former Vanderbilt star is a terrific playmaker out of the backfield, but it may be his talent plus his personality that makes him a home run addition to the Wildcats out of the portal.

At Kentucky Football’s Media Day, Davis caught up with the KSR folks, where he discussed a litter of topics regarding his arrival at UK and how the offense is coming along. However, the real fireworks came when Davis dished on his former hometown of Nashville, TN back when he was still a Commodore. That whole country music scene wasn’t for him, so he’s thrilled to be in a city where football and Kentucky fandom are front and center.

You can watch his provocative comment right here:

Ray Davis’ quote about Nashville vs. Lexington belongs on a t-shirt. pic.twitter.com/Ygjn3efJOp

— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) August 4, 2023

“My previous place in Nashville, it was about Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan and I ain’t know much about that. But I damn sure know about football and that’s what Lexington is about,” Davis declared to KSR when talking through the difference he’s experienced between Vandy and UK since he arrived on campus.

Like many other athletes when they first arrive at Kentucky, Ray Davis raved about the fan support from the entire local community, noting that fans have stopped to chat with him on numerous occasions since he got to Lexington… even though he hasn’t even suited up for the Wildcats yet.

“The fans, the people, when they see you in town, they love talking to you,” said Davis. “They love communicating with you. It’s always about football, it’s always about UK, so I love that.”

Sounds like the Big Blue Nation and Ray state Davis were a perfect match.

Davis, Vanderbilt’s leading rusher this season, finished fourth in the SEC with 1,042 yards on 232 carries (4.49 ypc.) and scored five touchdowns. It was just the tenth 1,000-yard rushing season ever by a Vanderbilt running back. He finished the season with momentum, securing three 100-yard performances in his final four games as a Commodore.

The 5-foot-9, 205-pound running back hails from San Francisco and was a three-star prospect out of high school, initially playing for Temple. He nearly surpassed the 1,000-yard threshold as a true freshman there, tallying 936 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019. After an injury-plagued sophomore season, he hit the transfer portal and found a new home in Nashville. He could not evade the injury bug, suffering a season-ending injury in week three of the 2021 season.

But after a strong 2022 campaign, Davis has found himself in a spot that’s featured some pretty impressive stars over recent years as the starting running back for Kentucky.