The FIU Panthers see major potential in this football recruit from the Treasure Coast

Keegan Davis, mostly a tight end in high school, knows the history.

FIU football coach Butch Davis — no relation — knows it, too.

When Treasure Coast High’s Keegan Davis signed scholarship papers with FIU last month, it was — to a large extent — because Butch Davis believes he can make a smooth transition from tight end to full-time defensive end.

“Coach Davis was very persuasive,” Keegan Davis said. “He knows how to evaluate talent.”

The history that goes behind the FIU coach’s persuasive argument centers around names such as J.J. Watt and Warren Sapp, who were both tight ends before making the switch.

Watt caught just eight passes at Central Michigan before transferring to Wisconsin and becoming a star pass-rusher. Sapp arrived at the University of Miami as a tight end before becoming a dominant defensive tackle. Both became first-round picks.

Keegan Davis, a 6-3, 235-pounder, played outside linebacker as a freshman at Treasure Coast. But by his sophomore season, the coaching staff — including his father, Kevin, who is the school’s offensive line guru — made a decision.

“We moved him to tight end [in a run-heavy system],” Kevin Davis said. “We wanted him to give our offense a defensive mentality.”

It worked.

After finishing 5-5 in Davis’ freshman season, Treasure Coast went 8-4 with a berth in the regional quarterfinals in 2018 and 9-2 with a berth in the regional semifinals in 2019.

In the summer following his junior season, Davis committed to FIU’s Conference USA rival, Marshall — as a tight end.

Then, in 2020, Treasure Coast went 9-0 – the first perfect regular-season record in program history. Along the way, Treasure Coast ended Vero Beach’s state-record 65-game win streak.

In the playoffs, Treasure Coast routed Olympia 49-8 before losing in the regional semifinals — a 22-21 overtime defeat to Miami Palmetto.

Davis’ stats as a senior were not overly impressive: six catches as a tight end, 82 yards on 15 carries and 10 tackles in part-time duty at defensive end.

Despite those modest numbers, he did make big plays. He averaged 31 yards per reception, for example. He also averaged 5.5 yards per rush, and he had three sacks.

“The plays I got at defensive end,” Davis said, “I made them count.”

Even so, Treasure Coast defensive line coach Jerrime Bell said he begged head coach Irvin Jones to let him have Davis on his side of the ball on a full-time basis.

“I’ve known Keegan since he was in the seventh grade,” Bell said. “He was the biggest and meanest kid on the field. The way he moved people, I almost felt sorry for some of those kids.

“As a senior, he only practiced with me about twice a week. I believe that if he had played defensive line the entire time he would have had Power Five [conference] offers.”

Personality-wise, Davis is an old soul.

“Keegan is a kid the coaches have to tell to get away from us,” Bell said with a laugh. “He likes to soak up knowledge, and when the coaches are talking, Keegan likes to listen. We have to tell him, ‘Go be with your peers’.”

But where Davis really wanted to be was at FIU. Also accomplished as a long snapper, Davis didn’t get an offer from FIU as a tight end. In fact, it wasn’t until Bell sent out Davis’ tape as a defensive end that he got a call from the Panthers.

“[FIU defensive line coach] Kennard Lang was the first one to call,” Bell said. “He called the very next day. Five days later, FIU offered him a scholarship.”

This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 12:22 PM.