Wendell Davis started to have his name mentioned quite a bit around the Pitt facility last August. The true freshman linebacker’s play in fall camp made an impact on several people including head coach Pat Narduzzi, linebackers coach Rob Harley, and 2018 starting middle linebacker Quintin Wirginis who all noted how impressive he was for a true freshman.

Those early impressions led to some action as a true freshman, but ultimately he kept his redshirt on after only appearing in four games. Now as Davis goes through his first spring practice, he is trying to make his name known once again.

“Everyday I try to get a little bit better each and every day, whether it’s mentally, physically,” Davis said. “I go home in my dorm room and watch film for about 45 to an hour to just try to find something everyday I can improve on and work on that.”

Davis is not the frontrunner to win the starting middle linebacker job, however, as Elias Reynolds started seven games last season and junior Chase Pine could force his way into the job there as well. Being a presumed starter might not mean much according to Harley.

“We’re going to find the best three, and that’s what I love about spring ball - maybe not new faces, because we know who these guys are and we’ve been coaching them for a long time, he said. “But new faces that are working in the starting reps with the 1’s and the 2’s, so it’s a full boat competition for the best three.”

Harley added, “I do not care who plays.”

Davis enters spring ball checking in at 6’2” and 245-pounds and while his physique is noticeably there, he says it’s something else that has improved the most since last season ended.

“Got to be mentally,” Davis proclaimed. “I’m not there all the way yet, but I’m making most of my calls right now, because last year at camp it was something new everyday and I had to learn everyday, but now I’m doing a good job of slowing the game down and mentally preparing myself.”

Harley thinks he’s getting opportunities to make calls and a run a defense for the first time since perhaps fall camp and it’s starting to come back to him.

“Again, that’s a guy really when you think about some of these young guys - maybe they were playing scout team, maybe they were redshirted and they haven’t taken reps since fall camp, he said. “So it’s been a long time since he’s had to control the defense and he’s getting some rust off from those first six practices and everyday for a young guy it’s like so much, he goes up like three steps. Those older guys you’re just trying to get them to go up one and for him it's like seeing stuff like, ‘oh geez now I know’ and you’re seeing that from him - which is good.

He added, “If you weren’t seeing that, you’d be worried.”

When asked if he’s surprised he’s in the competition right away as a redshirt freshman, he wasn’t biting.

“Surprised? No, because that’s what I came here for,” Davis said. “Elias is helping me out. I’m just trying to push and get a spot.”

Davis credits his playing style for forcing the issue and getting his name in the mix.

“I just think because of the way I play - I play fast,” he said. “Yea when I first came here I may have not known everything, but I was always playing fast and physical and always running to ball, and when you do that that takes care of most of it itself.”