Why Jaguars' WR Gabe Davis' Arrival in Jacksonville Is More of a Homecoming

The Florida native is coming home after four years in Buffalo.

For all the recent talk about players that have parted from the Jacksonville Jaguars, it’s sure to be refreshing to some members of the Duval Devout that Gabe Davis’ arrival is themed in homecoming.

Not only did Davis play his college football in the Sunshine State at UCF, he also happened to be in Orlando, Florida when he answered the call that he would be playing home games at EverBank Stadium.

Gabe recalled receiving that news during his first press conference with the team. “I was like, ‘Thank God, they called. Thank God.’ I wanted to come back to Florida, I wanted to be around guys that I knew, a coast that I loved and the team is great. Shoot – [the Buffalo Bills teams I was on] could never beat them. . . A pretty easy decision”.

Returning to his home state won’t be the only thing familiar to Davis, the Jags’ wide receivers coach Chad Hall worked with him in the past. “Chad is like family,” said Davis of Hall. “I was with him for three years in Buffalo. Family first, and no matter if I was here or somewhere else, I still talk to Chad on the regular. He’s definitely a dear friend of mine.” Additionally, recently acquired center Mitch Morse is a former Bills’ teammate of Gabe’s.

He's even crossed paths with Trevor Lawrence in the past back in his high school days. “. . . I went to the Nike Sparq Camp down in Atlanta. I’m looking at Trevor, and I was a nobody,” recalled Davis. “You got this Clemson quarterback here who as soon as you saw him throw, you saw how talented he was. Now for it to be years and years later, being able to play with him is awesome. . .”

When it comes to his fit in the offense, Davis is a versatile weapon who can catch deep passes and block effectively on the outside. As a former 24-year-old team captain in Buffalo who was voted “the back-to-back hardest worker” by his Bills’ teammates, he could also bring additional leadership and presence that can help the Jaguars off the field to prepare each week.

“That’s what I try to prove to my teammates; that they can trust me because they see the sacrifice that I put in for my team. . .”

Born in Fernandina Beach, Davis played his high school football at Seminole High School while being raised in Sanford. After his three years as a Knight, the Buffalo Bills drafted him in 2020 and in his four years there he started 45 games catching 161 passes for 2,730 yards with 27 touchdowns including a playoff game in 2021 where he recorded 242 yards and five touchdowns in an overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round.