Staying Power

ANTHONY DAVIS wasn't trying to make a statement. In electing to play football at Rutgers next fall, the 6'6", 335-pound senior offensive tackle at Piscataway ( N.J.) High says he was merely "choosing the best fit for me." His decision, which he announced on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, nevertheless shocked college football analysts. " Davis is the biggest recruit Rutgers has ever signed," says recruiting expert Allen Wallace. Davis's rare combination of size, speed and agility made him one of the country's top prospects at offensive tackle, and most expected him to sign with Ohio State.

Davis once imagined he would be going to that sort of traditional power. He first received a scholarship offer from Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano when he was 14, but Davis dismissed it, even though he lives just five minutes from campus with his mother, Sheronda, and eight-year-old sister, Wanya. "They weren't very good," Davis says of Rutgers, which at that time hadn't had a winning season since 1992. He thought he would follow the road traveled by other New Jersey blue-chippers, such as USC wideout Dwayne Jarrett ( New Brunswick) and Boston College linebacker Brian Toal (Wyckoff)—the road out of town. But then Rutgers had a winning season in 2005 and built on it the next year; Davis, who had 52 scholarship offers, placed Rutgers in his final two. Last November, Davis made his official visit to Ohio State and watched the Buckeyes beat Michigan 42--39. "I started to get excited about Ohio," says Sheronda. "But Anthony changed his mind every other week."

Then Davis spent the weekend with Scarlet Knights star running back Ray Rice and saw that the team had a family feeling to it. "Just hanging out with everybody, it was different," Davis says. It didn't hurt that he had a front-row seat at Rutgers Stadium on Nov. 9, when the school knocked off undefeated Louisville and fans swarmed the field. Davis expects more nights like that one are in his future. " Rutgers is getting better," he says. "I want to be a part of it."

PISCATAWAY HIGH
Piscataway, N.J.

The Undecided

With Signing Day on Feb. 7, these were Rivals.com's top unsigned recruits as of Monday.

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]