- February 4, 2026
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College football coaches have carved out time in their busy schedules to visit Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School. In the last few weeks, some even crossed state lines to do so.
Those unable to make the journey have picked up their phones to call or text. They go through mail, too, sending letters in hopes of strengthening their program’s appeal.
By any means necessary, powerful figures on the Power Four landscape want to get in touch with one particular high school athlete who possesses particularly impressive attributes.
Davin Davidson is that athlete.
The junior has rapidly become one of the hottest names among quarterbacks in the Class of 2027. From Jan. 20 through 31, he received 20 offers from NCAA Division I FBS programs, including perennial powerhouse Georgia and defending national runner-up Miami.
Entering 2026, his list looked dramatically different. Six colleges had extended offers — four of which hailed from Group of Five conferences or the FCS.
January transformed his future, fast.
“Just got to take it day-by-day. Can’t get too high, can’t get too low,” Davidson said. “Trust the process with everything and then let it all play out how it’s supposed to play out.”
He’s not a five-star recruit. He doesn’t even appear on ESPN’s ranking of the top 300 players in the Class of 2027. As of Feb. 3, Davidson has three stars, per 247Sports.
But at this rate — with his skills steadily developing — picking up a fourth star before his senior season seems inevitable. There’s a reason college coaches are clamoring for a closer look.
An MVP-caliber showing at the Miami regional of the Elite 11 quarterback camp on Jan. 17 put him firmly on the map. Among nearly 50 signal-callers from five different states, Davidson earned the distinction of "Alpha Dog."
He was also picked as one of the top quarterbacks at The Opening in Miami on Jan. 16 and previously competed at the 7v7 Elite Kickoff Classic in Tampa on Jan. 10-11. It was his performance at Elite 11 regionals, though, which turned the most heads.
Davidson won the accuracy challenge that day in what he described as a “dream camp” for quarterbacks hoping to eventually play at the collegiate level.
“That’s the goal going into those camps — put the world on notice, do what you have to do and just play how you play,” Davidson said. “Then see how it pans out after that.”
It’s no surprise the demand for his services is widespread. But at the same time, it feels overdue.
He flexed his talents early on and rarely struggled throughout a stretch of sheer dominance by Cardinal Mooney.
To get the starting nod for the first time in his career, he had to take the job from senior Devin Mignery, who quarterbacked the Cougars to the FHSAA Class 2A state semifinals in 2024 and the 1S state title a year prior.
Mignery was on the mend from successive knee and shoulder surgeries entering the 2025 season. Coach Jared Clark put the ball in Davidson’s hands, and of all opponents, he had to go against St. Thomas Aquinas — then the six-time defending 5A state champion — for his unofficial debut.
“I definitely got thrown into the fire playing Aquinas for my first start,” Davidson said. “Couldn’t ask for it any other way, though.”
He stormed onto the scene with a towering 6-foot-6 frame and high-level athleticism to match. Throwing hard and fast is how he operates, and only so many quarterbacks can combine that with the accuracy he displays.
A baseball background helped build that arm strength. Davidson was a pitcher during his freshman and sophomore years, and per Perfect Game, could hurl an 87-mile-per-hour fastball. He’s all in on football, though, and has set down his glove and bat for good.
Though not a true dual-threat quarterback like Mignery, he sees his ability to run as his most underappreciated asset — something that recruiters overlook.
“People don’t know how fast I am,” Davidson said. “I don’t think sleeping on my legs is a good idea.”
He never surrendered the starting job last season. Permanently taking the reins, he went from largely unknown to a must-know local talent in a mere matter of months.
Davidson led Cardinal Mooney to the 2A state championship when all was said and done. He piled up 2,360 passing yards and 23 touchdowns on a 64.6% completion rate against six interceptions, spearheading a 14-1 finish and 13-game winning streak to close the season.
Learning the offense was the bare minimum to him. Mastering it was his goal.
“Some people can run an offense, but if they’re able to manage it, they can take it to a whole ‘nother level,” Davidson said. “That was really big — getting the whole offense mastered — and then just trusting what I can do.”
Buoyed by overwhelming success in his first year as a full-time starter, his recruitment has taken off into the stratosphere. College coaches know his name now.
It’s past time they did.
