Football
Jamin Davis - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics 44

JaminDavis

  • position Linebacker
  • height 6-4
  • Weight 224
  • class Sophomore
  • Hometown Ludowici, Ga.
  • High school Long County

Career

  • In three seasons, saw action in 36 games with 11 starting assignments
  • Totaled 144 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 2.5 sacks, five interceptions, three PBU, three QBH, one block, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble
  • Named first-team All-SEC by ProFootballFocus and second-team All-SEC by Phil Steele in 2020
  • Led UK in tackles (102) and was second in interceptions (3) as a junior in 2020
  • Had eight career double-figure tackle games, all in 2020
  • Only player in the FBS in 2020 with at least 100 tackles and three interceptions
  • One of just four SEC players to average 10 or more tackles per game in 2020
  • Became the first Wildcat with five-consecutive double-figure tackle games since Danny Trevathan, who had nine straight in 2010
  • Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week in 2020 after charting a career-high 15 tackles vs. Vanderbilt


2020 – Junior

  • Declared for the NFL draft
  • First-Team All-SEC, Linebacker (PFF)
  • Second-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
  • SEC Defensive Player of the Week (11/16)
  • All-America Honorable Mention (Phil Steele)
  • Played in 10 games, missing one (Alabama) due to COVID protocol
  • Filled the stat sheet as the team’s leading tackler with 102, along with 4.0 TFL, 1,5 sacks, two PBU, three interceptions (one for a score), a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick
  • Fourth in the SEC and 20th nationally in tackles per game (10.2) and total tackles (102)
  • Had eight double-figure tackle games this season
  • Tied for ninth in the SEC in interceptions with three
  • Made 13 tackles and one-half quarterback sack in the win over NC State in the Gator Bowl … Also had an interception and five-yard return in the fourth quarter, setting up the game-clinching touchdown
  • Had 10 tackles in the win over South Carolina in the regular-season finale
  • Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week after charting a career-high 15 tackles vs. Vanderbilt for his fifth straight game in double digits … Became the first Wildcat with five-consecutive double-figure tackle games since Danny Trevathan, who had nine straight in 2010
  • Had 13 tackles vs. Georgia, his fourth consecutive game with double-figure stops … Also blocked a field goal, caused a fumble and had a pass breakup … Blocked a field goal on the final play of the first half … Marked the first blocked kick of his career and UK’s first blocked kick of the season … UK’s first blocked field goal since Josh Allen in the VRBO Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2019
  • Intercepted a pass over the middle and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown in the win at Tennessee
  • Eighth-longest interception return in school history and Kentucky’s longest interception return since David Johnson had a 95-yard TD return at Cincinnati in 1986
  • UK’s longest interception return vs. an SEC opponent since Darryl Bishop had a 97-yard runback in 1972
  • UK’s longest interception return in an SEC road game since Joe Stephan had an 89-yarder at Florida in 1969
  • Wearing uniform No. 22 vs. Mississippi State in honor of teammate Chris Oats, had a stellar day with 11 tackles and an interception


2019 – Sophomore

  • Saw action in all 13 games with one start
  • Totaled 32 tackles, 1.0 sack, two quarterback hurries and an interception
  • Tied for the team lead in tackles with a career-high seven vs. Louisville in the regular-season finale and also had the first sack of his career
  • Followed that performance with six tackles in the win over Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl
  • Made his first collegiate start vs. UT Martin … Had an interception, the second of his career, and led the Wildcats with six tackles
  • Also led the Wildcats with a career-high six tackles in the win over Vanderbilt and added a quarterback hurry
  • Charted a season-best three tackles and one quarterback hurry in the win over Missouri


2018 – Freshman-RS

  • Saw action in all 13 games, finishing with 10 tackles, an interception and a PBU
  • Made a career-high four tackles and claimed his first career interception and added a pass breakup vs. Murray State


2017 – Freshman

  • Redshirt season
  • Graduated a semester early and enrolled at Kentucky in January of 2017
  • Totaled a team-high eight tackles, including 1.0 TFL, in the spring game last season for the White team


High School

  • Considered one of the nation’s top 50 outside linebackers by 247Sports
  • Has been clocked running a 4.65 40-yard dash, and has a 38-inch vertical leap
  • Finished his senior season with 126 tackles, with an impressive 89 solo tackles
  • Averaged 14.0 tackles per contest (nine games)
  • Also had four tackles for loss, a sack, a hurry and a fumble recovery which he returned to the opponent’s three-yard line
  • Forced two fumbles and blocked both a punt and a field goal
  • Offensively, he had 11 carries for 50 yards, along with 12 receptions for 151 yards and three scores
  • Had 131 tackles as a junior and 45 tackles as a sophomore, totaling 302 career tackles in his prep career
  • Just the second player in Long County High School history to sign with a Division I football program
  • A four-year letter winner and three-year starter at Long County for coach Eric McNair
  • McNair said, “If I had to sum up Jamin Davis, it would be role model.”
  • Gridiron Now says, “He can fly to the football and is a fierce hitter. Not only can he bring the wood, Davis shows excellent wrap up fundamentals. He has excellent speed, plays with tremendous aggression and makes plays all over the field. Davis also shows the ability to get up field and after the quarterback and make plays in space.”
  • Named Class AAA All-State honorable mention by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  • Three-time All-Region II selection, earning first-team honors in 2015 and 2016
  • Chose UK over Louisville, Georgia Tech, Purdue and N.C. State


Community Cats

  • Volunteer for God’s Pantry (2019)


Personal

  • Born in Honolulu, Hawaii 
  • Son of Tanga Davis and James Davis
  • Siblings are Treyon and Tenisah
  • Father, James, played football at Bethune-Cookman, while a cousin, Attiyah Henderson, played football at San Diego State
  • Major is community and leadership development


Jamin Says

  • His nickname is “Shadow”
  • He chose Kentucky because it felt like home
  • He wears his jersey number because his grandmother passed away at age 44
  • One word to describe him on the field is “dependable”
  • Other than playing in the NFL, his dream job is to be a corporate lawyer
  • The best advice he’s ever received is “you can’t have a million dollar dream with a minimum wage work ethic”
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