The college football season in Texas starts a week earlier than normal with a Week 0 matchup between North Texas and UTEP. To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas every day until Aug. 27. The list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best, though talent plays a major factor in most important.

No. 5: KD Davis, North Texas senior linebacker 

The History

Davis arrived in Denton via nearby Ennis High School where he was an all-district safety and Defensive Player of the Year in 17-5A for the 2017 season. He recorded 97 tackles as a senior and 63 as a junior. The three-star recruit signed with North Texas over offers from Louisiana Tech, Arkansas State, Illinois, and Memphis. Davis played in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2018, primarily on special teams. 

Davis emerged as a starter in 2019 ad finished the year as an honorable mention All-Conference USA selection after leading the Mean Green with 88 tackles. He also recorded seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and four quarterback hurries. He was once again an honorable mention All-CUSA selection in 2020 after registering a team-high 75 tackles to go along with three sacks. 

His elite-level production from the middle linebacker position only increased in 2021 with Davis recording 121 tackles, including 13 for loss and 5.5 sacks. He also recovered two touchdowns, returning one for a touchdown. He was the first Mean Green defender to register more than 120 tackles since 2018 and the first player to lead the team in tackles for three straight seasons since Zach Orr a decade ago. Davis was a first-team All-CUSA selection by the coaches. 

The Skillset 

There are bigger linebackers than the 6-foot, 229-pound Davis. He’s not going to overwhelm opposing offenses with size, but he’s athletic as a former safety. His nose for the football is unmatched in the current landscape of the state of Texas. Leading a team in tackles for three straight seasons requires work ethic, consistency, a high football IQ, and the toughness to remain on the field at a physically demanding position such as linebacker. He received interest from SEC programs such as Texas A&M and Ole Miss when he briefly entered the transfer portal late in the summer, so the whole of college football is aware of Davis’ talents. 

The Impact  

Davis provides North Texas defensive coordinator Phil Bennett with an experienced leader in the middle of the Mean Green defense Davis’ leadership and consistent production makes him the face of the program. He’s the best defensive player at North Texas since Orr, and another strong season will place Davis atop the school’s all-time leading tackler list. North Texas wants to be a tough, physical team on both sides of the ball, and players like Davis allow head coach Seth Littrell to instill that type of philosophy. Davis is a tackling machine who makes plays behind the line of scrimmage and can get sideline-to-sideline. He’s a candidate to win Defensive Player of the Year in CUSA as a super senior. 

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