Three Star Athlete Stephen Davis Jr Will Be An Auburn Tiger

Stephen Davis. That's a name that should ring a bell for any Auburn fan old enough to remember the magical 1993 and 1994 seasons. Today, after a delay since signing day with some academic issues, his son has announced that he will, indeed, be an Auburn Tiger.

#WARDAMNEAGLE pic.twitter.com/e5DkUTrYxt

— Stephen Davis Jr (@Mr_davis02) July 24, 2016

Unlike his father, Stephen Davis Jr plays on the defensive side of the ball. Davis Jr committed to Auburn all the way back in August of 2014. He stuck with the class for over a year but de-committed in September of 2015. Why? Well, when he committed Ellis Johnson was the Tigers' defensive coordinator. He never really connected with Will Muschamp and Travaris Robinson. Or maybe they didn't pursue him because they had their sights set elsewhere.

Davis Jr never gave up on Auburn, though. When the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coaches changed, it started to look like Davis would once again find his way to the Plains, just like his father. It's ironic that Muschamp and the Gamecocks continued to pursue Davis,  just like Spurrier's staff did before him, once he took over at South Carolina.

There were reports a while back that Davis may have some academic work to do and he may be the first Auburn player to fall into the "academic redshirt" category. That does not appear to be the case, now. For those who are interested in what an "academic redshirt" is, essentially recruits starting with the 2016 class must meet a minimum high school GPA requirement and complete at least 10 of 16 required core high school classes before the spring semester of their senior year in high school. If they don't meet those requirements, then they will automatically redshirt their first year. It's not like the old "partial qualifier" deal, though. This is a true redshirt, and the player will not lose any eligibility. They'll still have four years to play four, unlike the old "partial qualifier."

Whatever the reasons for the delay, he's now definitely going to be a Tiger.

Davis Jr could project as a defensive back or a linebacker. He's tall at 6'4. He's not very heavy right now at only 215 lbs, but he'll have time to add some bulk if he needs to. Or not. It's nice to have a tall DB if he sticks in the defensive backfield.

Whether he had academic issues or not, he's likely headed for a redshirt if he's a defensive back. If he's a linebacker, then he very well may get on the field early if he's a very quick study. Perhaps he'll show out enough in the fall that he'll see the field as a true freshman as a DB, too. I doubt it, though. With no summer workouts and fall practice starting next week, I'm betting he's headed for a redshirt. Regardless, I'm glad to have him back in Auburn and hope he leaves as big a name as his father.

War Damn Davis Family!