UCF Defensive Tackle Kalia Davis Returning to the Lineup will Improve the Defense

There were 10 UCF football players that missed the 2020 season because they opted not to play during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of those players, Kalia Davis, will return to the team. He will be one of the most important UCF players for the Knights to produce a great 2021 season.

Brian Smith | Jul 12, 2021

UCF Defensive Tackle Kalia Davis Returning to the Lineup will Improve the Defense /

Defensive tackles, college football programs covet them during recruiting because they impact a football game from multiple standpoints. A standout defensive tackle will sometimes change how an opposing offensive coordinator calls a game because he needs to double team that particular defensive tackle to keep his quarterback out of harm’s way.

Of course there’s the aspect of the running game. A talented defensive tackle that stuffs the interior running game can turn a promising drive into a tough situation as first down and 10 becomes second down and 10. To say the least, that changes the play call options moving forward.

The defensive tackles that consistently make those types of players prove to be invaluable. With the UCF Football team, there is a new player on the depth chart but one that has been a part of the program while sitting out last season. That player would be defensive tackle Kalia Davis.

After starting the final nine games of the 2019 season and recording 27 tackles, three sacks and eight tackles, his return to the lineup will be valuable in a multitude of ways. There’s experience, production, and just Davis’s size to consider.

Listed at 6’2”, 285-pounds, he can be an anchor in the middle of the UCF line. He’s a valuable asset not just because he will throw a running back for a loss or bring down the quarterback for a sack, but because one cannot teach Davis’s size or experience. Those combined assets help UCF do something that every defensive line wants to do.

Changing the Line of Scrimmage

The above statement is one that high school, college, and professional football coaches often discuss. “Games are won in the trenches” and “The team that wins along the line of scrimmage will win the game” are two of the oldest and most common catch phrases in all of football.

Both statements prove to be true more often than not.

Going along with the two articles written about Finding A Pass Rush Part I and Finding a Pass Rush Part II, Davis will be the true hub that holds everything together. Placing Davis next to defensive tackle Cam Goode during a passing situation will probably change how an opposing offensive line blocks because both players are capable pass rushers. Now, which defensive tackle does the offensive line double team? Having DAvis back may also change the line of scrimmage. Then there is the specific matter of getting after the quarterback beyond just coming off the edge.

An Interior Pass Rush Changes a Game

There’s no pass rush quite like an interior pass rush because it’s the direct line to the signal caller. Davis, in combination with Goode and other UCF defensive tackles, will be working together to move the opponent’s quarterback's eyes down at them instead of looking up at his intended targets.

Defensive Tackle Kalia Davis will be a Playmaker in 2021 / Reinhold Matay, USA Today Sports

Further, making the opposing quarterback move, even if it will be just one step to his right, left, or back further, changes the timing of the throw. Interceptions, misfires that fall incomplete, and a quarterback simply not having the opportunity to make a throw because of the oncoming rush often come about when an interior rush closes in. That’s what moving the line of scrimmage can do to the passing game, and there’s a similar responsibility for Davis and his defensive line brethren.

Stuffing the Run

As for the running game, well, that’s much of the same except it’s more about gap integrity and a defensive tackle playing his responsibility along with the rest of the front seven to limit rushing yards. Sounds like basic math, and it does work so that each player will be responsible for one particular gap. It starts directly in front of the center and the football itself. It’s also something UCF needs to improve based on the 2020 season.

Last season, stopping the run was not UCF’s strength. The Knights allowed 4.34 yards per carry and 192.60 yards per game. That’s simply not acceptable. With Davis back in the lineup, those numbers will drop, and quite frankly, they should drop considerably.

Davis will be one of those players that UCF Defensive Coordinator Travis Williams and his defensive staff relies on to be consistent against the run and the pass. Afterall, even though he sat out the 2020 season, Davis is one of the more experienced defensive lineman on the UCF 2021 roster.

UCF needs the defensive line to be better against the run, and Davis could be argued to be the most important player along the front wall even if he only produces five tackles for loss all season long.

That’s because other teams will sometimes double an experienced and talented defensive tackle like Davis, providing more opportunities for players all along the defensive front to go one-on-one. Even if Davis goes against a double team just 30% of the time, that helps his teammates tremendously. There’s one remaining aspect that Davis improves the UCF defense, and it’s one that the UCF coaching staff will certainly be happy about.

Rotating Defensive Linemen Matters

Adding Davis back to the lineup also means one more body to rotate in and out of the lineup. Defensive players chase the football during each play. In essence, it’s likely going to be more energy, per play, to be a defensive player as compared to an offensive player. That’s why college defensive coaches want to send waves of players at an opposing offense to keep the defense fresh.

One must also consider where UCF plays, and that would be Orlando. Few cities are as hot and muggy as Orlando. For the UCF defensive line to truly be impactful during the final quarter, or even the final five minutes of a game, the Knights need as many well conditioned defensive linemen as possible.

Davis will be one of the players in that rotation, and he’s likely to play a key role in several different ways. He’s experienced, provides good size in the middle, and already produced as a starter. The Knights will be fortunate to bring Davis back into the fold to be a starting defensive tackle this fall, and he will be one of the key aspects of changing UCF’s defensive line for the better.

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