Caldwell’s Layton Davis, Maybe the class of the Class of 2022 at NG

Back on August 3, 2018, we published an article on KPGFootball entitled KPGFootball’s Top 17 rising Freshmen Footballers. Missing from that list may have been, if the first three games worth of work has any meaning at all, perhaps, the elite nose guard in the entire Commonwealth. As we have said many times, we don’t get them all and any list we publish is far from exhaustive. We weren’t the only ones to miss this prospect as he didn’t play for any of the Team Kentuckys from East-West, to FBU Elite, to Future Stars. Just another example of the void of information available about football players in the Commonwealth of Kentucky until they hit 11th grade. In addition, it is also an example of why this publication, and ones like it, are vital. How else are you going to know that a Layton Davis is tearing it up right in the middle of the Tigers’ odd front, Friday night after Friday night?

Layton Davis, in addition to his being a freshman (Class of 2022), is also listed as standing 5-11 and weighing 260 pounds on the official Caldwell County roster. I don’t know whether he just looks bigger than that or plays bigger than that but, in any event, he appears to have plenty of size for where he is deployed and he only figures to get bigger and stronger as he matures. Davis is what we call a flat-backer in the football world regarding defensive linemen. What we mean by a flat-backer is that he fires off the line of scrimmage low, hard, and with his back flat enough you could balance a cup of water on it. His pad level, and, therefore, leverage remains consistent throughout the engagement with whichever offensive lineman drew the assignment of blocking him. It is just another way of saying he fires off from his stance quickly and with excellent pad level. Davis is super quick, exhibiting quick-twitch muscle fiber above his stage of development which often results in his gapping through holes before the center is able to snap and engage and before the guard is able to double down on him. This leaves many centers having to chase and ride him through the pocket as the only remaining option and allows inside linebackers, stationed behind him, the ability to flow to the football unfettered.

Through three games, Davis has contributed 12 tackles from his nose guard position, three of which have been solos, with one tackle for a loss. Aside from tackling numbers, which don’t really tell the tale with nose guards, he draws consistent double-teams and has been both a persistent and consistent disruptive force running around the opposing offensive backfield wreaking havoc. Caldwell County is 1-2 on the season, but has played Class 5A Christian and Graves Counties (where they split) and Class 4A Hopkinsville High School (to whom they lost 35-20 at home). As for pedigree, not only was Davis’ dad a very fine player at Caldwell County in the day, but he is the nephew of former Class 2A, player of the year, Brandon Sigler.

KPGFootball got the opportunity to speak with Layton after the Hopkinsville game and we were honored to tell him that, while we may not have known about him on August 3rd, we certainly have our eye on him now. We will continue to monitor Layton’s play as the year progresses and believe Davis to be a strong candidate for Freshman All-State team inclusion when that team is published on this site at season’s end. People will tell you around Princeton, Kentucky, we would suspect, that this is one acorn which didn’t fall very far from the tree.

Reporting for KPGFootball, this is Fletcher Long reminding all of you ballers out there that #WeGotUCovered and to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE.