Photo: Matt Cashore/Irish Illustrated

When Avery Davis went down during the Navy game last season with an ACL tear, the Irish lost a valuable and explosive part of their receiving corp. Davis was already in his fifth season in 2021 and was serving as a team Captain. He finished 2021 with 386 yards on 27 catches and 4 touchdowns.

In early January Davis announced his decision to return for a rare 6th season , an option he had due to a 2020 season COVID exemption. During ND’s first practice on August 5th Davis looked mostly like his old self, that is one of the team’s fastest athletes with a knack for running precise pass patterns. Davis did however seem to be voluntarily limiting his reps. That fact was confirmed post practice by head coach Marcus Freeman who commented, “Full go, just limited in terms of the volume and the reps. You can’t tell a guy to go 85%, so lets limit the reps, let’s limit the volume. “

Midway through practice, during a pass route agility drill as seen below, Davis looked quick and agile.

Avery Davis drill rep, August 5, 2022. Video: Phil Houk

Originally recruited as a quarterback in 2017, Davis went through multiple position changes that included running back and cornerback before settling in at slot receiver. In his ND career he has totaled 862 yards on 66 catches with 8 TDs. He brings a veteran presence to a receiver room that is thin on numbers and experience but long in potential.

ByPhil Houk

For over 25 years, bringing you the glory of Notre Dame football.

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