Davis' Receiving Stats Decreased, But His Performance Was Clutch

The Husky pass-catcher could be counted on when he was needed most.

When the DeBoer/Gruff offense was installed, University of Washington wide receivers were practically guaranteed their numbers would greatly increase, even double in some cases.

That proved to be true for every Husky pass-catcher except one.

Taj Davis actually saw his receiving stats decrease in the new spread formation — from 26 catches and 329 yards in 2021 to 21 and 277 last fall.

However, the 6-foot-2, 193-pounder from Upland, California, hardly had any complaints. Just like the rest of the UW receivers, he came away a satisfied customer.

While he might have touched the football less, Davis had some of the biggest and most memorable catches during an 11-2 season.

He caught the first of the Huskies' 32 touchdown passes, a 32-yarder from Michael Penix Jr. in the season opener against Kent State, a 45-20 victory.

At Oregon, Davis was on the receiving end of what was arguably the biggest play of the season — he hauled in a-back-against-the-grain, 62-yard scoring strike from Penix, tying the game at 34 with with 3:07 remaining in a game the UW won 37-34.

In the Alamo Bowl, Davis pulled in a 6-yard TD pass from Penix against Texas in the third quarter, giving the Huskies a 20-10 advantage in an eventual 27-20 victory.

TIPTOEING THROUGH EUGENE :: Troy Wayrynen/USA TODAY Sports

Taj Davis gets the Husky sideline overly excited as he eyes the sideline before scoring on a 62-yard touchdown pass at Oregon. 

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DUCK HUNTING :: Chris Pietsch/USA TODAY Sports

Getting behind the Oregon secondary, Taj Davis went 62 yards to tie the game at 34 at Autzen Stadium before the Huskies pulled it with a late field goal. 

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RUNNING TO GLORY :: Troy Wayrynen/USA TODAY Sports

No one was going to catch Taj Davis at Oregon after he pulled in a Michael Penix Jr. scoring strike that came from the opposite hashmark.

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TEXAS TWO-STEP :: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

Taj Davis celebrates a 6-yard touchdown catch from Michael Penix Jr. in the third quarter of the Alamo Bowl against the Texas Longhorns.

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REINVENTING HIMSELF / Skylar Lin Visuals

After wearing No. 17 for a couple of seasons, Taj Davis switched to 3 for the 2022 season. 

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CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH :: Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports

Opting out of the 2020 season, Taj Davis stayed home in Southern California during the height of the pandemic to recover from a heart virus. 

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HUSKY TREND-SETTER :: Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports

Taj Davis caught the first of the UW's 32 touchdown passes in the season opener against Kent State, which was one of his three scores. 

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GOOD HAND'S PEOPLE / Skylar Lin Visuals

Taj Davis shares a practice moment with fellow Washington wide receivers Jalen McMillan (11), Denzel Boston (12) and Giles Jackson (0). 

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NUMBERS GAME / UW Athletics

These 2021 Huskies, from left to right, are Sawyer Racanelli, Ja'Lynn Polk, Rome Odunze and Taj Davis. Everyone since has changed his number or, in Racanelli's case, left the UW. 

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By now, UW players know they can count on this California product to produce and make every play count.

"Taj is a guy who a lot of people don't hear too much about," Penix said. "We don't talk about him much. He's a guy when he's out there on the field, I have no doubt in my mind he knows what to do and he's going to make a big play."

As a sophomore this pats season, Davis started four of 13 games, but he came off the bench in each outing in which he scored, meaning he was a steady contributor no matter what role he assumed. 

He's certainly healthy again after opting out of the 2020 season with a heart virus during the height of the COVID pandemic.

"I actually got sick really bad," Davis said. "I got myocarditis. I got a sickness in my heart. That was pretty much the main decision and why I left and I had to be home with my family. I couldn't run, I couldn't practice. I just kind of needed that for my mental space."

Someday, he'll likely come up with bigger receiving numbers and maybe even become one of the UW's leading receivers, but he'll have to wait for Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan to finish up their careers in Montlake.

Meantime, Davis will be the reliable one whenever he's called on and the Huskies need a clutch catch.

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