MORGANTOWN — Treylan Davis is a realist.
The West Virginia University redshirt junior tight end knows and understands his limitations. He’ll even point them out.
“I wish I could be faster, I wish I could jump higher,” Davis said. “But I think everybody does, you know? So you focus on your strengths.”
His biggest strength is, well, he’s pretty strong. Davis uses that physicality as a blocker and as a way to counteract others’ athleticism. It’s what has gotten him on the field for the Mountaineers, what has earned him several starts in his WVU career, and what will keep him an important part of West Virginia’s offense heading into WVU’s nationally televised home game Saturday against No. 17 Kansas State (7:30 p.m., Fox).
At 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, Davis cuts an impressive figure on the football field. He uses that frame to help get the offense going as a blocker. With the defenses the Mountaineers (3-3, 2-1 Big 12) have faced the last couple of games – and will continue to face on the Big 12 slate – that ability has been crucial. Davis has started the last two games as a tight end/fullback, giving him seven starts for his career.
“I think I do well at the point of attack most of the time,” he said. “That’s where a lot of my strong points are for this offense – pulling, whether it’s a counter play, being at the point of attack and allowing running backs to make a cut off my blocks. I’ve had a lot of strength in that.
“The way we draw them up, if we need a fullback position or a tight end position, I like the ability to do both,” he added.
WVU coaches have recognized his hard work. He has been given WVU’s Blue Collar Award three times in his career, including this year in the Mountaineers’ win over Albany.
Even though he doesn’t consider himself as athletic as others on the field, he has become more of an option in WVU’s passing game, netting some big gains over the last two contests. His five catches this season already match his career high for a season recorded in 2022. Against Oklahoma State, his one catch went for 31 yards. Against Iowa State, his one catch went for 15 yards.
“Anytime you get the ball coming your way, it’s exciting,” he said. “You’ve got to make the most of what opportunities you get. So I’m just really doing what I’m supposed to do. If the ball finds me, it finds me.”
Offensive coordinator Chad Scott said Davis is overcoming his athletic limitations by outworking others at the nuances of the game. That’s something Scott said some of his more athletic offensive teammates should emulate. He bemoaned the mistakes in those small things that WVU coaches believe cost them the game against Iowa State.
“No knock on Treylan Davis, but he’s got to be one of the slowest guys out there,” Scott said. “But the last two weeks, he’s had an explosive play. Now how does he do that?
“He’s doing the littlest things right to get into the ideal situation that the little thing will put him in to do that,” Scott added. “So the guys with all the talent and all the speed have got to continue doing the little things well, or we have to get them off the football field, because it’s hurting us.”
Davis’ talents likely will be called upon this weekend versus the Wildcats (5-1, 2-1 Big 12). KSU owns the second-best rushing defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision, allowing just 71.7 yards on the ground per game. So his blocking skills will be needed to open holes for running backs Jahiem White and C.J. Donaldson. And his attention to detail can act as a measuring stick for the rest of the WVU offense. Kansas State will try to exploit errors just as Iowa State did if they crop up.
Davis said he’ll continue to stay within his wheelhouse. Would he love to be as athletically gifted as some of his teammates? Sure, but rather than covet what he doesn’t have, he said he keeps his mind on the positive traits he owns.
“It just comes down to self-awareness,” Davis said. “If you can be aware of yourself, you can focus on what you’re good at, rather than talking about what you’re not good at.”
— Story by Derek Redd
