Don't Sleep On: Noah Davis, consummate TE prospect

EAST LANSING - Noah Davis is the lone tight end in Michigan State's 2016 recruiting class, but position coach Jim Bollman, and primary area recruiter Harlon Barnett, believe the Spartans got all they desired at the position for 2016 with the 6-foot-5, 242-pound Cincinnati St. Xavier standout.

Davis - ranked No. 14 at tight end in the country, the No. 4 TE in the Midwest and No. 16 in Ohio by Rivals.com - is described by coaches as a perfect fit to help continue the trend of rugged, dual-purpose Michigan State tight ends, with Paul Lang having graduated, and Josiah Price and Jamal Lyles set to be seniors next fall.

Davis will help provide depth next fall, possibly as a redshirt, while teaming with rising underclassmen Dylan Chmura and Matt Sokol in providing the next wave of hard-blocking TEs at MSU.

Davis had 59 catches for nearly 700 yards with seven touchdowns during his junior and senior seasons.

A multi-sport athlete, he represented Team Indiana in the 2014 Brine National Lacrosse Classic in Maryland.

He had more than 15 offers - including Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Arkansas and Pittsburgh - prior to committing to MSU in April. He signed with MSU on Wednesday, enabling Spartan coaches to talk about him for the first time.

Davis comes to East Lansing, according to Bollman, ready to make a strong impression.

“He’s from a program where they’ve used multiple tight ends a lot,’’ Bollman said. “So he’s done all the different phases of things that we do. He’s played on the line of scrimmage, he’s been a motion guy and he’s shown to be a really excellent receiver. He really has really, really good hands was very impressive when he came to camp last summer and that’s even after he committed. And he’s really doing a great job right now of training himself and getting bigger and getting stronger. He’ll fit right in to what we do and I hope he’ll develop into one of those guys that can do both phases of the job, who can play on the line of scrimmage as well as do the motion things (as an H-back in the backfield) that we’ve done and then (we’ll) see if he develops the ability to flank out there and do a little bit of that too. The main thing is that we wanted to get a tight end who could handle some of that inside stuff and he looks like he’s going to have that in his future.’’

While it’s more than likely that with a glut at tight end, Davis will have to wait his turn to crack the playing rotation, Barnett feels that when that times comes, MSU’s newest tight end will be more than ready to make the transition.

“The program that he plays in, the league that he plays in, the GCL in Cincinnati, Noah is used to pounding and blocking,’’ Barnett said. “And you’ve got to know his coach too. He’s trying to run the football. They’re a multiple deal but they preach toughness, not only at that school but in that league. So every week they’ve got to come and bring it. So he can block as well as catch and run with the ball and do all of things . . . be a complete tight end. He’s a complete tight end that can do everything that you want him to do and that’s what we ask our guys to do so he fits our offense perfectly.”

Offensive line coach Mark Staten on the extremes in recruiting:

“I’m not blowing smoke, I’m not sleeping at anybody’s house and I’m not chopping down trees. Kids eventually, young men, which is what you want because you want to send them out as men, they realize (if) this guy’s for real and that’s when you elevate things.’’

Co-defensive coordinator Mike Tressel on philosophy on playing fast:

“As long as all 11 players play with extreme effort . . . effort erases mistakes. So if one guy makes a mistake, the other 10 guys, they’re coming. So we will absolutely keep the same philosophy. Don’t worry about the mistakes because everybody’s got your back, they’re coming. But as soon as the effort starts to drop of, which it can’t and it won’t, but if the effort starts to drop off those mistakes become amplified, then you do have to worry about the mistakes. The extreme effort is what allows us to say don’t worry about the mistakes. Now we do make sure everybody knows that there’s two or three that we call the fatals and those mistakes you can’t make. You can’t make fatals but other then that, go, take a shot.’’

Wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel on defensive back recruit Demetric Vance:

“He fits our mentality, the Spartan mentality. He will hit things and knock himself silly. If you’re walking across the street and he’s driving, I wouldn’t feel good walking across the street because he’s probably going to try and hit you. He’s just that type of kid.’’