TAMPA, Fla. – Next man up? Nykahi Davenport has been that and then some for the Bulls the past few weeks. Since making his collegiate debut at Miami, the redshirt freshman has impressed with his breakaway speed as well as his lunchpail-like knack for picking up tough yards.
Davenport, whose first name is pronounced nih-KIE, showed flashes of what he could do against South Carolina State on September 20 when he broke loose for a 43-yard touchdown run. Such highlight-reel plays have become standard, especially since Cartevious Norton was lost for the season due to injury in the conference opener against Charlotte. Next man up? Davenport has answered the bell in resounding fashion.
“Just be ready when your name is called,” said the Georgia native of the opportunity to shine after sitting out last season due to an ankle injury. “It’s about being prepared, learning from the older guys and the guys ahead of me. Being ready for my moment, and I have taken advantage of the moment.”
He sure has. Davenport, who started each of the last two games, is averaging an impressive 7.1 yards per carry with five touchdowns on 56 attempts. Even if his long run of 60 yards at Memphis, a 59-yard touchdown last week against UTSA and his TD versus South Carolina State are taken out of the mix, the 6-foot and 213-pounder would still be averaging 4.5 yards per tote.
“As we have had some injuries in the backfield and have needed guys step up, he has continuously stepped up and forced us to play him,” said coach Alex Golesh, noting Davenport’s quiet, hardworking and humble demeanor. “He has earned the right to play as much as he has and we need him to continue to get better and better, but he’s earned every single snap. He’s been really impressive to watch.”
Choosing USF
Davenport, who attended Roswell High about 25 miles north of Atlanta, was his region’s offensive player of the year as a junior and senior. He considered attending North Carolina State and Cincinnati, though there was a lot about USF that he found appealing.
“I liked how the program was rising, coach Golesh, all of the coaches and the type of offense that we run,” he said. “It is similar to my offense in high school where we played with tempo. So, it was easy for me to adjust.”
The second oldest of five siblings often has at least a couple of family members and relatives rooting him on at Raymond James Stadium. That, of course, is very meaningful. So is the opportunity for the young man to grow within a culture he has found easy to embrace.
“When I saw that the coaches actually care about the players, that made me feel like this is where I wanted to be,” said Davenport, who was a quarterback as a youth and enjoyed watching Cam Newton. “I wanted to be here instead of going to a program where they don’t really care about the player as much as the football side of things.”
When it comes to the football side of things, it is no surprise that Davenport has become an integral part of a team that heads into Saturday’s game at Navy (Noon, ESPN2) No. 24 in the College Football Playoff ranking.
“You always knew that it was a matter of time before he got his opportunity and was going to take off,” said center Cole Best. “He’s a true product of hard work. He comes in every day and finds a way to get better. To see him get the opportunities that he has, and take advantage of them, has been awesome.”
READ: Navy Quarterback Blake Horvath Will Once Again Be A Major Challenge For The USF Bulls’ Defense
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