Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: Effort and Motor Helped Elevate Davis’ Stock During Spring
7/9/2021 12:29:00 PM | Football, Les Johns
“You notice him, because he’s always running to the ball a million miles per hour.” - Lyle Hemphill on Jasheen Davis
Though he played in just two games as a freshman in the 2020 season, it took just five practices for Jasheen Davis this spring to get a shot of working with the first string.
The 6-foot-3, defensive end impressed early and often this spring, making it impossible for Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson and defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill to not gush over his motor, work ethic and production through the 15 workouts.
"He plays harder than everybody else," Hemphill said. "Who's the kid that plays the hardest on the field at practice? And that kid showed up a lot, so that's why his name came up. And you notice him, because he's always running to the ball a million miles per hour.
"He's got a motor. He's got a high, high, high motor. He's on his way, he's really on his way. His effort plays show up."
Davis grabbed three tackles in an early season win against Campbell, but then didn't play again until the regular-season finale at Louisville — a game starting defensive end Carlos "Boogie" Basham had to miss because of COVID-19 protocol.
With Basham gone to the Buffalo Bills of the NFL, Davis has an opportunity to grab some reps in the 2021 season at defensive end.
"I was pretty determined," Davis said about his play in camp. "I felt like it was time to make a name for myself, and I feel like I did that. I still have a lot more work to do, but that was a great start for me."
Despite the various adversity felt during the pandemic-impacted 2020 campaign, Davis believes he learned a lot in his first few months as a Demon Deacon.
"It was more of a blessing than a curse," he said. "When I first got here, there's an adjustment to the speed of the game. Going from high school to college, the speed of the game is much different. I needed to pay a lot more attention to what was being said. I feel like even though it was during COVID, it allowed me to get a grasp of the game and get used to the speed of the game.
"The game is different in terms of speed and strength. I've now got a better feeling for what to expect when my number is called."
And he had a full year of getting to study Basham. Basham was both a leader and a role model for Davis, who watched him put together a freakish performance at Wake Forest Pro Day.
"His performance was really good," Davis said. "My dreams and aspirations are also to go to the NFL. To have someone in front of me, who I had the opportunity to watch in practice every day, was a big benefit to me. I now know what it takes to take that next step in my football journey."
Both Basham and Davis have a non-stop motor, with Davis labeling his style "relentless" while at Shiloh High School in Snellville, Ga.
"I have a good motor, great aggression and a knack for getting to the football," Davis said. "Boogie had many of those same attributes, and really stood out in the pass rush. He was more seasoned and studied the film of opposing offensive tackles to see how he could attack each of them individually. That's where I need to learn. I'm going to learn when to use the right moves to take my game to the next step.
"I need to become more explosive, and that focus from strength and conditioning will be on my lower body. I'll be ready to attack in the fall and make a name for myself."
Being able to go three-deep across the field in spring camp should benefit the entire team, Davis believes.
"We don't want there to be a dropoff when the next person comes in the game," he said. "That's good for the whole defense in general. If you have multiple good players at every spot, you can still make the same calls. Having three deep is good because folks need those reps to take their game to the next level."
When the coaches charted wins and losses for practice each day of camp, Davis regularly saw his name listed at the top of the leaderboard.
"I wanted to do whatever I needed to give myself the best opportunity," he said. "I want to make it to the NFL. That's my ultimate goal. I'm going to do everything it takes to put myself in that best position. I just stay humble and do what it takes."
The highlight of camp camp in that fifth practice, when Davis was given a chance to workout with the first string defense. From that point on, he rotated with both the ones and the twos.
"I worked my tail off during the offseason and the winter, and it was paying off," he said. "That was a blessing for me. I'm just hungry. I'm trying to make the best plays I can."
The relationship Davis built with defensive line coach Dave Cohen during the recruiting process continues to pay dividends as he develops at Wake Forest.
"If he gets on you, it's because he cares about you," Davis said. "He's a good person, a good coach, and like a father figure. He's not afraid to tell you when you're wrong. You need that as a player."
The 6-foot-3, defensive end impressed early and often this spring, making it impossible for Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson and defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill to not gush over his motor, work ethic and production through the 15 workouts.
"He plays harder than everybody else," Hemphill said. "Who's the kid that plays the hardest on the field at practice? And that kid showed up a lot, so that's why his name came up. And you notice him, because he's always running to the ball a million miles per hour.
"He's got a motor. He's got a high, high, high motor. He's on his way, he's really on his way. His effort plays show up."
Davis grabbed three tackles in an early season win against Campbell, but then didn't play again until the regular-season finale at Louisville — a game starting defensive end Carlos "Boogie" Basham had to miss because of COVID-19 protocol.
With Basham gone to the Buffalo Bills of the NFL, Davis has an opportunity to grab some reps in the 2021 season at defensive end.
"I was pretty determined," Davis said about his play in camp. "I felt like it was time to make a name for myself, and I feel like I did that. I still have a lot more work to do, but that was a great start for me."
Despite the various adversity felt during the pandemic-impacted 2020 campaign, Davis believes he learned a lot in his first few months as a Demon Deacon.
"It was more of a blessing than a curse," he said. "When I first got here, there's an adjustment to the speed of the game. Going from high school to college, the speed of the game is much different. I needed to pay a lot more attention to what was being said. I feel like even though it was during COVID, it allowed me to get a grasp of the game and get used to the speed of the game.
"The game is different in terms of speed and strength. I've now got a better feeling for what to expect when my number is called."
And he had a full year of getting to study Basham. Basham was both a leader and a role model for Davis, who watched him put together a freakish performance at Wake Forest Pro Day.
"His performance was really good," Davis said. "My dreams and aspirations are also to go to the NFL. To have someone in front of me, who I had the opportunity to watch in practice every day, was a big benefit to me. I now know what it takes to take that next step in my football journey."
Both Basham and Davis have a non-stop motor, with Davis labeling his style "relentless" while at Shiloh High School in Snellville, Ga.
"I have a good motor, great aggression and a knack for getting to the football," Davis said. "Boogie had many of those same attributes, and really stood out in the pass rush. He was more seasoned and studied the film of opposing offensive tackles to see how he could attack each of them individually. That's where I need to learn. I'm going to learn when to use the right moves to take my game to the next step.
"I need to become more explosive, and that focus from strength and conditioning will be on my lower body. I'll be ready to attack in the fall and make a name for myself."
Being able to go three-deep across the field in spring camp should benefit the entire team, Davis believes.
"We don't want there to be a dropoff when the next person comes in the game," he said. "That's good for the whole defense in general. If you have multiple good players at every spot, you can still make the same calls. Having three deep is good because folks need those reps to take their game to the next level."
When the coaches charted wins and losses for practice each day of camp, Davis regularly saw his name listed at the top of the leaderboard.
"I wanted to do whatever I needed to give myself the best opportunity," he said. "I want to make it to the NFL. That's my ultimate goal. I'm going to do everything it takes to put myself in that best position. I just stay humble and do what it takes."
The highlight of camp camp in that fifth practice, when Davis was given a chance to workout with the first string defense. From that point on, he rotated with both the ones and the twos.
"I worked my tail off during the offseason and the winter, and it was paying off," he said. "That was a blessing for me. I'm just hungry. I'm trying to make the best plays I can."
The relationship Davis built with defensive line coach Dave Cohen during the recruiting process continues to pay dividends as he develops at Wake Forest.
"If he gets on you, it's because he cares about you," Davis said. "He's a good person, a good coach, and like a father figure. He's not afraid to tell you when you're wrong. You need that as a player."
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