Cornerback Da’Quan Davis No Longer With Penn State Program

Senior cornerback Da’Quan Davis is no longer a member of Penn State’s football program, Head Coach James Franklin confirmed to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Davis (Towson, Maryland/Calvert Hall College) was lightly recruited coming out of high school, garnering a two-star rating by Yahoo! Sports. The 5-foot-11, 174 pound Davis received only a handful of offers from major Division-1 schools, a list that included scholarships from Penn State, Marshall, and West Virginia. Davis was courted by former Penn State Defensive Line Coach and savvy recruiter Larry Johnson when he committed in January of 2012.

During his freshman campaign, Davis became one of six true freshmen to see game action. He finished the year with five tackles, one fumble recovery, and three pass deflections. Davis would enjoy a similar season during his sophomore year, where he recorded five tackles while playing in seven games.

Over the course of his Penn State career, Davis began to see his role diminish as younger defensive backs received increases in playing time. Throughout his time with the program, Davis was mainly confined to reserve defensive assignments and special teams work.

“Da’Quan is no longer with the team,” Franklin said to the Post-Gazette on Wednesday. “I keep my comments pretty limited on those things, but we wish him the best, but he’s no longer with the program. That’s also why we don’t necessarily release things if we don’t have to because I want him to be able to focus on graduating and finishing up his academics.”

Recently filed court documents show that Davis was charged by Penn State Police for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and underage drinking. The incident occurred on May 9, and Davis’ preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 24.

Davis’ departure from the program will be dispelled by the influx of young talent the team has stocked at the cornerback position. Returning starter Trevor Williams will be the team’s top cornerback headed into the 2015 season, while sophomores Grant Haley and Christian Campbell will compete for the two and three spots, respectively. Four-star recruits John Reid and Garrett Taylor — two highly touted prospects — will also compete for early playing time.