No one said Julius Davis came to the Montana State University football team to replace record-setting running back Isaiah Ifanse. Then again, no one said he can’t.
Davis, who transferred to MSU from Big Ten power Wisconsin, was recruited by the likes of USC, Louisiana State and Notre Dame before he became a Badger. While he didn’t crack the starting lineup in Madison, he was productive with the opportunities he received, rushing for 199 yards on 34 carries in eight games.
At 5-11, 200 pounds, Davis possesses the size and strength to break tackles and carry piles. That sounds like Ifanse, who set MSU’s career rushing yardage record last season. But for now at least the Bobcats are focused on a running game by committee.
“I would suspect that it’ll be a by committee situation,” MSU head coach Brent Vigen said heading into fall camp. “It’s the makings of a really strong group, and that’s something we just couldn’t really ever say anytime last year.”
Still, Davis has the kind of potential that Ifanse possessed in that he can take over games and wear down defenses.That’s why he has Elevated Expectations entering the 2023 campaign.
After piling up huge numbers in high school, Davis suffered an injury just two games into his senior year. In that short time, he had 48 carries for 537 yards (11.2 yards per carry) with six touchdowns. Davis racked up 3,067 yards and 32 touchdowns on 437 carries during his prep career. When he arrived at Wisconsin several other very talented backs were on hand as well, which may have made him hidden gem.
“I’m excited about the addition of Julius,” Vigen said. “Julius is a guy that was highly touted out of high school, had an injury his senior year of high school and that slow things down for him.
“And at the same time, he gets (at Wisconsin), Jonathan Taylor’s (41st pick in the 2020 NFL Draft) there, Braylon Allen’s (All-Big Ten second team in 2022) there, and he ends up on the outside looking in. We are fortunate (offensive line) Coach Al Johnson was here (Johnson previously coached at Wisconsin), because I think there was a trust in their relationship, both ways that Julius would be able to come here, go after it, not assume anything, and, see how it all unfolds.”
Players have also picked up on Davis’ presence in the locker room as well as on the practice field.
“Julius has done a great job of showing us who he is as a person, growing in our locker room, getting to know guys,” Mellott said. “He has a very high character. Does things the right way. He’s a great addition to our team in that sense.
“Physically, talent wise, I think he’ll be great for us, but you can’t really say until you get out there on the field.”
Davis didn’t disappoint in his first shot at live action in this past Saturday’s scrimmage as he tallied a solid 52 yards on 10 carries despite going up against a defense that knew potent running quarterbacks Tommy Mellott and Sean Chambers wouldn’t be carrying the ball.
A year ago, the Bobcats entered the season with Ifanse, his backup Kaegun Williams and freshman Garrett Coon already sidelined. They then lost promising freshman Jared White and veteran Lane Sumner within the first two games as they headed into a game and Oregon State that would end up ranked No. 17 in the final Associated Press poll with Elijah Elliott the last man standing in the running back room. MSU would pull wide receiver Marqui Johnson into the group and he would provide an electric element later in the season.
This year White, Sumner, Elliott and Coon have been joined by Davis and highly regarded freshman Scottre Humphrey as potential pieces of the backfield.
“We’re starting today with a better situation for depth than we were a year ago, I know that,” Vigen said. “Plenty of competition will unfold. If you look at spring, Elijah (Elliott) was healthy. But Lane (Sumner) wasn’t out there, Jared (White) was coming back, we were still going to Marqui at running back a little bit, hadn’t added Julius at that point….Garrett Coon was coming off of an injury.”
“We were still a work in progress very much in the spring. And now we’re healthy. So all those guys in that mix, you know, have a chance for what’s in front of them. That’s a really important group that we allow opportunities to show what they can do.”
One key in persuading Davis to sign at MSU was offensive line coach Al Johnson, who had been an offensive assistant at Wisconsin.
“Going through the process, it was a long, you know, process that I had to really think deep down about what the best decision was for me,” Davis said. “And while going through that process, Coach (Al) Johnson, one of my former coaches, now works here at Montana State, had mentioned Montana State. But he ultimately wanted the best for me. And he thought Montana State would be that. So I gave it a try, gave it a look, came out here and visited. And turns out, he was right.
“It was difficult to leave because change is always difficult. But change is what you also need to grow. So, I think that change is what I needed to be able to grow and be the best version of myself. Definitely wasn’t easy. But so far, I’m enjoying my time here in here in Montana. You can’t complain when looking at mountains every time you come out to practice.”
Davis has had quite a bit of time to heal from his prep injury. He redshirted in 2019, then carried the ball just once in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
“One hundred percent is great,” Davis said of his injury early in fall camp. “I’m feeling very good right now. So that process has to continue, but it’s great so far.”
With just ten days to go until the Bobcats kickoff against Utah Tech in the annual Gold Rush game, no word has come out of fall camp about who the starting running back will be but with the committee approach fans should expect to see a dose of Davis.
