Nate Davis Stats Scouting Report

SCOUTING REPORT: Following in the steps of two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Davis could emerge as the next great quarterback to come out of the Mid-American Conference. The league's reigning offensive player of the year, Davis guided Ball State to a stunning 12-0 start and No. 12 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll before the Cardinals lost to Buffalo 48-31 in the MAC championship game. Facing Tulsa in the GMAC Bowl, Davis had his worst game of the season, completing only 9 of 29 passes for 145 yards and one interception in a 29-9 setback. Still, Davis is considered a natural leader, and his weak bowl performance does little to take away from what he accomplished over his college career, particularly the final two seasons. In 2007-08, Davis completed 60.0 percent of his passes for nearly 7,300 yards with 56 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions in 27 games. Overall, Davis leaves as the Ball State's leader in touchdown passes (74), yards passing (9,233), attempts (1,124) and completions (678). In fact, one of the few negatives attached to Davis' name is he doesn't possess the height many in the NFL would like to see in a quarterback. Davis may hear his name called in the middle of the first round, and almost assuredly will by the end of the draft's first day. - STATS Sports Xchange Scouting Report

OVERVIEW:

Nate Davis could be the next MAC quarterback to make it big in the NFL. He was the first player in school history to produce back-to-back 3,000-yard passing seasons and compiled a 17-5 record as a starter vs. MAC competition, leading the Cardinals to a 12-2 mark, including an 8-1 record vs. league opponents in his final season. A finalist for the 2008 Manning Award (nation's top passer) and the MAC's Offensive Player of the Year, Davis was twice the recipient of the John Magnabosco Award, given to the team's Most Valuable Player. In just three seasons, he rewrote the team record books. He left as the all-time leader in touchdown passes (74), passing yards (9,233), pass attempts (1,124), pass completions (678), 250-yard passing games (20) and 300-yard games (nine). At Bellaire High School, the same school that produced NFL receiver Joey Galloway, Davis lettered three times in football. He earned All-State and All-Conference honors as a senior, helping lead the Big Reds to a 10-0 conference record and a state semifinal appearance, finishing with a 13-1 overall mark. He completed 125-of-207 passes for 2,932 yards and 42 touchdowns. For his prep career, Davis compiled a 21-8 record as a starter. He set the school all-time record with 113 total touchdowns, and school all-time marks with 7,348 yards and 81 touchdowns passing. Davis also excelled in basketball at Bellaire High, earning four letters. He eclipsed the school's 50-year-old career scoring record, amassing over 1,800 points. As a senior, he helped the hoops team to a 15-0 start. Davis made an impact as a true freshman at Ball State in 2006, earning the John Hodge Award as the squad's Most Outstanding Freshman. He started seven games, tying the school season-record with 18 touchdown passes. His 1,975 aerial yards were the fourth-best season total in BSU annals, as he connected on 150-of-245 chances (61.22%). As a sophomore, Davis shattered the school season-record of 2,377 yards passing by Neil Britt in 1983, registering 3,667 yards on 270-of-478 tries (56.49%). His 30 touchdown passes also established a new team record, as he was intercepted just six times. He also began to show more confidence in his running ability, as the team MVP tallied 235 yards and five scores on the ground, finishing 15th in the nation with an average of 300.31 yards per game in total offense. Davis was named the league Offensive Player of the Year in 2008. The Manning Award finalist generated 3,591 yards and 26 touchdowns on 258-of-401 throws (64.34%), as he was picked off only eight times. His 3,591 yards ranked 11th in the nation, as he also placed 19th with an average of 278.79 yards per game in total offense. Prior to the 2008 GMAC Bowl, Ball State head coach Brady Hoke left the team to take over at San Diego State University. Davis decided to bypass his final season of eligibility and applied for the 2009 NFL Draft.

ANALYSIS:

Compares To: ALEX SMITH, San Francisco -- Davis is a combination of Alex Smith and -- because of his athletic skills -- Baltimore's Troy Smith, undersized passers who rely on their quickness, balance and feet to make big plays on the move. Davis is in the same situation as Alex Smith in that he would've greatly benefited from an additional year in college. If he is drafted into a rebuilding situation without a standout receiver or offensive line, Davis could quickly regress as Alex Smith did. How teams choose to handle Davis in his early NFL career will be critical. He could be devoured by unfriendly media and some are concerned that his last three performances, with Ball State aiming for an undefeated season and Davis looking to the NFL, showed he can't handle immense pressure.

HIGH SCHOOL:

Attended Bellaire (Oh.) High School, playing football for head coach John Magistro ¿ Lettered three times in football, earning All-State and All-Conference honors as a senior ¿ Helped lead the Big Reds to a 10-0 conference record and a state semifinal appearance, finishing with a 13-1 overall mark, as he completed 125-of-207 passes for 2,932 yards and 42 touchdowns that year ¿ For his prep career, Davis compiled a 21-8 record as a starter, setting the school all-time record with 113 total touchdowns, as he also set school all-time marks with 7,348 yards and 81 touchdowns passing ¿ Became the team's first three-time All-State and All-Conference choice ¿ Also excelled in basketball at Bellaire High, earning four letters ¿ Eclipsed the school's 50-year-old career scoring record, amassing over 1,800 points ¿ As a senior, he helped the hoops team to a 15-0 start.

PERSONAL:

Communication Studies major ¿ Brother, Jose, set most of the passing records at Kent State (1997-99), where the quarterback completed 552-of-1,000 passes for 6,722 yards. Jose holds the Mid-American Conference game-record, accounting for eight touchdowns vs. Central Michigan in 1997. He recently played for the Arena Football League's Kansas City Brigade ¿ Son of Charles Davis and Linda Davis ¿ Born Nate Charles Davis on 5/25/87 in Bellaire, Ohio.