Former Gateway star Derrick Davis transfers to Pitt

Pitt landed another transfer with roots in western Pennsylvania on Tuesday when LSU defensive back/running back Derrick Davis committed to the Panthers.

As a four-star prospect at Gateway High School in the recruiting class of 2021, Davis ranked No. 101 nationally and No. 6 among safety prospects. He chose the Tigers over offers from Alabama, Baylor, Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Miami (FL), Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pitt, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin, among others.

As a freshman at LSU, Davis appeared in 12 games, but only two of those games saw him play on defense, as most of his playing time came on special teams. This past season, he made five appearances, playing on defense in two of those.

Davis’ most notable playing time came late in the season, though. In LSU’s November win over UAB and Citrus Bowl win over Purdue, the 6’0” 210-pounder lined up in the backfield. He carried the ball five times for 28 yards against UAB and then recorded six carries for 29 yards and a touchdown in the bowl game.

A talented ball-carrier at Gateway, Davis was the TribLive High School Sports Network’s Player of the Year for the state of Pennsylvania in 2019 when he put up more than 2,000 yards of total offense and scored 28 touchdowns to help the Gators to a WPIAL championship.

While Davis was originally projected to be a defensive back in college, his entry into the transfer portal led to coaches taking another look at him for offense, and that appears to be where he will play at Pitt.

Davis is the third former WPIAL star to transfer to Pitt this offseason, following Notre Dame/Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec (Pine-Richland) and Florida safety Donovan McMillon (Peters Township).