Shane Beamer 'excited' about Elijah Davis

Elijah Davis is the top-rated DT that Shane Beamer brought to South Carolina this offseason. Beamer had recruited Davis out of high school and after starring in his role at East Mississippi CC this past season, Beamer wouldn’t let him slip away again and making sure that he was a Gamecock.

“I was watching a video of him when he was at Wagener-Salley [High School] and was really impressed with him as a player,” Beamer said of Davis. “Obviously, he went to East Mississippi Community College for a couple of years but obviously kept eyes on him. That was a big recruiting battle that we won to get him here.”

Davis was ranked as the No. 3 JUCO prospect nationally and the top-rated JUCO DL prospect in the country, per the On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. Those rankings come with high expectations, and Davis is off to a decent start after compiling 35 total tackles, 3.5 for loss and 3.0 sacks last season.

South Carolina defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey said that Davis’ skill set makes him best suited for the defensive tackle position. He’s progressing day-by-day, and still adjusting to the offseason load SEC football carries compared to what he got used to at East Mississippi.

Still, Davis played defensive end during last weekend’s spring game, where he recorded three tackles and two sacks. He also forced a fumble on QB Tanner Bailey to add to his impressive day.

Having a player in Davis that is versatile enough to play in any of the four spots on the defensive line is a rarity — and Beamer might have something special in the East Mississippi CC transfer.

“He’ll be the first to tell you, he probably came in a little out of shape. It took him a little bit to get acclimated to our off-season program, but I think he’s had two really good weeks to finish up spring practice,” Beamer said. “… He can play on the interior and he’s athletic enough to play out there on the edge at defensive end. Excited about him as he continues to get better.”

His slow start isn’t expected to bleed into the summer. By that time, Beamer expects Davis to be acclimated to the South Carolina standard and what it means to play football at the highest level that college football has to offer.