Oklahoma veteran CB Jaden Davis, who has 22 career starts, is joining Miami Hurricanes in huge pickup for program

If the Miami Hurricanes’ defense had a weak area this spring, it was either defensive tackle depth or the top end talent at cornerback. Today UM added a major piece that should help the latter issue.

Jaden Davis, who started nine games for Oklahoma this past season (missing the final three due to injury) and had 35 tackles, 2 PD and a TFL, will transfer to Miami and is expected to be a Day 1 starter. He’s yet another corner transfer for the team, which already added Terry Roberts and Davonte Brown before the spring and also added transfer CB Daryl Porter, Jr. last year.

Call it Cornerback Transfer U if you want.

But all Miami wants is it to be Lockdown Corner U.

Davis is a big part of that, and the former 4-star recruit in the Class of 2019 out of Ft. Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas has started 22 games in his four seasons.

Lsat year he graded out at 62.3 overall per Pro Football Focus and 60.8 percent in coverage while allowing opposing QBs to hit on 16 of 30 passes vs. him for 202 yards.

So not real good, but the Oklahoma defense in general wasn’t good – the Sooners ranked No. 121 in total defense (461.0 yards) and No. 118 in passing yards allowed (273.5).

Davis has plenty of physical tools, though, and experience – he has 104 career tackles and one interception.

Davis will arrive to a secondary that lost both its starting corners a year ago, Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Ivey. No corners really stood out this spring, hence coaches looking for more portal help. The first-teamers for most of spring ball were the aforementioned Brown and Porter. So now it will be a full-fledged competition to start at CB in the fall, but the expectation is Davis will certainly be one of the starters.

Our best guess? Davis and Brown are the guys manning the corner spot, and it’s position that even with NFL draftees Stevenson and Ivey along with All-American safety Kam Kinchens and James Williams got picked on last year. Miami’s 2022 DB unit ranked No. 79 in the nation in yards allowed passing (233.6) and No. 101 in passing efficiency defense.

That’s out of 130 teams.

It should be better this year.

But the corners will have to hold up with Lance Guidry’s attacking scheme leaving them on an island quite a bit.

So there pressure’s on, Jaden Davis.

THE JADEN DAVIS FILE

2022

Played in 10 games … started first nine contests before missing final three regular season games due to injury … played in reserve role vs. Florida State in Cheez-It Bowl … compiled 35 tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups and a QB hurry … logged three tackles (all solo) vs. Florida State … made three stops vs. Baylor (11/5) … recorded six tackles and pair of PBUs at Iowa State (10/29) … logged three tackles vs. Kansas (10/15) … made career-high seven tackles vs. Texas (10/8) … registered pair of tackles at TCU (10/1) … made six stops and had a QB hurry vs. Kansas State (9/24) … notched solo stops at Nebraska (9/17) and vs. Kent State (9/10) … made three tackles and one TFL in opener vs. UTEP (9/3).

2021

Played in all 13 games and made six starts … had 25 tackles (21 solo) and two pass breakups … made two stops at Kansas (10/23) … had three tackles and a pass breakup vs. TCU (10/20) … registered three tackles vs. Texas (10/9) … had three tackles and a PBU at Kansas State (10/2) … made a season-high five tackles vs. West Virginia (9/25) … logged three tackles vs. Nebraska (9/18) … notched a pair of stops vs. Western Carolina (9/11) … made three tackles in season-opening start vs. Tulane (9/4).

2020

Played in 10 games and made six starts … started each of season’s first five games … totaled 11 tackles (10 solo) and five pass breakups … notched two solo stops in Cotton Bowl win over No. 10 Florida (12/30) … registered three solo tackles and a pass breakup in a start vs. Baylor (12/5) … notched a solo tackle vs. Kansas (11/7) … made an assisted tackle and a career-high two pass breakups vs. No. 22 Texas (10/10) … tallied three solo tackles and a pass breakup vs. Kansas State (9/26) … made a solo stop in season opener vs. Missouri State (9/12).

2019

Played in all 14 games and made one start (vs. West Virginia) … logged 33 tackles, one interception and one pass breakup … collected solo tackles against Oklahoma State (11/30), TCU (11/23) and Iowa State (11/9) … matched his career high with six solo tackles at Kansas State (10/26) … earned his first career start and finished with two tackles against West Virginia (10/19) … tallied five stops against Texas (10/12) … notched three tackles at Kansas (10/5) and against Texas Tech (9/28) … recorded six solo tackles at UCLA (9/14) … registered three solo stops against South Dakota (9/7) … made an assisted tackle in collegiate debut against Houston (9/1).

HIGH SCHOOL
Four-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals … an Under Armour All-American … invited to The Opening … ranked No. 176 overall by ESPN and No. 384 by 247Sports … touted as the 15th-best cornerback nationally by ESPN, No. 24 by Rivals and No. 39 by 247Sports … ranked as the No. 33 recruit in Florida by Rivals, No. 36 by ESPN and No. 37 by 247Sports … registered over 60 tackles and five interceptions (returned two for touchdowns) in his high school career … also offered by Clemson, Florida, Penn State and others.

PERSONAL
Major is information studies.