After Dusty May was hired at Michigan, most of FAU’s roster decided to enter the transfer portal. This included 2023 AAC player of the year Johnell Davis. Most assumed Davis would follow his former coach to Ann Arbor, but this does not seem to be the case. After not meeting Michigan’s academic requirements, Davis had to change plans. Now, two SEC powerhouses are battling for his services.
Johnell Davis Choosing Between Two SEC Schools
Arkansas
The first school battling for the services of Davis is Arkansas. After the recent hire of John Calipari, the Razorbacks have decided to go all in on the transfer portal. They first landed the services of big man Zvonimir Ivisic. Now, the Hogs are looking into acquiring a lead guard. Davis would fit in well at Arkansas. Calipari has recently been running the offense through his guards, which would be appealing to Davis. Davis also profiles as a scorer at all three levels, which plays on any roster in the country, especially a rebuilding one.
The big question mark with him will be the price. He only has one year of eligibility left and he will command a hefty NIL fee. Fortunately for Calipari and the Razorbacks, Arkansas has one of the best NIL budgets in the entire country. Even if they have to overpay, they can easily afford Davis while also being able to afford other high-caliber transfers.
Kentucky
Ironically, the other school fighting for the services of Davis is Kentucky; where Calipari coached for over a decade. Similar to Arkansas, Kentucky is also in a complete rebuild. Every single scholarship player has either entered the NBA draft process or the transfer portal.
Kentucky hired BYU’s Mark Pope as its next coach and he has already landed Drexel forward Amari Williams in the transfer portal. It is also expected that some BYU players will follow Pope to Lexington. With spots filling up quickly, Davis will likely need to make a commitment soon if he wants to play in Lexington. However, he has visited Kentucky, so they are not out of the equation.
Where Will Davis Land?
As things stand, it appears that Arkansas is in the lead for the services of Davis. According to 247 Sports’ Travis Barnham, “Arkansas is pulling away as the ultimate victor” in this recruitment. This is not entirely surprising given the situation. They just landed one of the best coaches of all time and he was promised a massive NIL budget. Calipari has always been known for his recruiting prowess while Pope has been known for developing underrated talents. In this scenario, it makes a ton of sense that Cal would win. While the recruitment is not over and other schools, like Houston, are still in the sweepstakes, I would expect Davis to be a Razorback before too long.
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