Interview: 3-Star 2019 California WR Taj Davis Updates Washington Visit and Recruiting
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
If there was an ideal plan on how a high school football career should go and the recruiting process to go with it, Taj Davis may be the example. During his sophomore season, the 6-2, 195-pound, receiver pulled in 15 passes for 202 yards with three scores. He had a breakout junior campaign for Upland in 2017 slicing defenses for 51 receptions covering 1,218 yards with 12 trips into the end zone helping the Highlanders to a 12-1 record. His recruitment is matching production on the field with 13 offers to date: Stanford, Cal, Vanderbilt, Oregon State, Duke, Northwestern, New Mexico, Purdue, Howard, Yale, Nevada, Missouri, and Iowa State. Things are getting a little more serious on the recruiting trail with offseason visits and more recruiting interest coming in for the three-star prospect.
In a Recruiting News Guru catch-up interview, I sat down with Davis upon his return to California on Sunday after visiting with the Washington Huskies on Saturday for an inside look on his trip.
*Click link for Dec. 19, 2017, RNG video interview with Taj Davis
Interview
Taj, how are your offseason workouts coming along?
“They’ve been great. I’ve been lifting a lot, getting stronger, and working with my new quarterback.”
What is the focus of your personal preparation for the 2018 season?
“I want to put up better stats this year. I want to have more yards. I am working on staying low in my break and getting out fast.”
How is playing 7v7 ball with Rharebreed pushing your game forward?
“Working with Rharebreed is making me more explosive and faster.”
Which camps have you attended this offseason?
“The only camp I went to was the Under Armour Camp.”
How did the Under Armour Camp go for you?
“That was fun. I stood out at that camp. I had a lot of fun. I did well against some very good defensive backs.”
When does Upland start spring ball?
“We’ve already started.”
How are practices going?
“We started off slow, but we are competing more and more each time out. It is coming along. I’m being a leader this year. We are trying to go undefeated again; we’re working hard.”
What goals have you set for yourself this spring?
“I have set a goal taking on a leadership role with the team. I am working on being more of a vocal leader, not just someone who leads by example. I am trying to do both this year, lead by example and vocally.”
How many offers do you have now?
“I have 13 offers.”
Which schools are showing a little more recruiting interest over the others but have not offered yet?
“Washington, UCLA, and Arizona.”
Which schools have you visited this year?
“I’ve been to Washington, just got back today (Sunday). I have also visited UCLA and Stanford.”
How did the Washington visit go for you?
“It was amazing. It was an eye-opening visit. It was a great experience meeting with the staff, touring the campus, and seeing the environment of the school and the program. I really liked it a lot.”
What all did you do while visiting with the Huskies?
“I talked to their wide receivers’ coach, Coach (Matt) Lubick. We watched my film and broke it down. He compared me to Dante Pettis (JSerra), a former receiver there. I also had a long sit down with their head coach, Coach (Chris) Petersen. I went to a player’s meeting, took a tour of the campus, the dorms and everything. The second day, we watched the Spring Review; it was a practice and game at the same time.”
I have to ask, what did you talk about with Coach Petersen?
“We talked about a lot of things. We talked about life outside of football – you can’t play football forever. He said he liked me and my character. He said I am an OKG – “Our Kind of Guy”. They feel like I will be a fit there. Coach Lubick said he is coming next week to our school for a practice. He should offer then. He wants to watch me run around in practice before offering.”
That’s exciting. Congratulations.
“Thank you.”
How did the UCLA visit go?
“The visit was alright, some of the coaches were out. They’ve wanted to get Cam Davis (Upland running back) and me back out there for their spring game (Saturday). I wanted to, but could not make it this weekend for their spring game. They’ve showed interest but have not offered yet.”
Do you have any upcoming visits planned?
“I am going to Cal this weekend and in June I am visiting Oregon State.”
When you visit the various schools, what are you evaluating about each program? What is most important to you as an influencer as to where you will attend college?
“The campus – I will be living there for the next four years. The players on the team; I’ll be around them for four years. And the coaching staff. I look to see the receivers they have put out in the past. I also look at how well they have done in on the field in recent years.”
A question I am sure you have received many times, since you have so many great offers, have you started thinking about a commitment date yet?
“Not really. I do not have a certain date set. I will do it when I feel it is right. As of right now, I’m not pushing anything.”
Taj, always great catching up with you. Thanks for your time today and good luck with your upcoming visits.
“Thank you.”
Please help keep RecruitingNewsGuru.com a national site aiding in bringing exposure to amazing student-athletes!
If RNG has helped you, a friend, or a family member through an article, video, or stylized interview with our countless hours of free promotion for high school, junior college, and college athletes – please donate. Any amount is appreciated!
Photo credit: recruitingnewsguru.com; Taj Davis at UCLA