Utah State football adds commitment from versatile California CB Jalen Davis

Zipping through the open field, Jalen Davis was pretty tough to catch last fall.

After a game in which he had a punt return, a fumble return, and an interception return all for touchdowns, Helix coach Troy Starr told the San Diego Union-Tribune "You couldn't catch him in a phone booth if you tried."

And yet because of his size, it seemed that a few schools were hesitant to pursue the two-star 5-foot-9 athlete out of La Mesa, Calif. UC Davis and Northern Arizona offered, while San Jose State, Colorado State, and UNLV showed interest.

But Utah State had been in the running for a long time. Last week, all that recruiting effort paid dividends for the Aggies as Davis told them he wanted to come to Logan.

"It feels good," he said. "It's a dream come true. It's a really good school."

While he's dazzled in high school with his special teams and offensive abilities, Davis' future is as a cornerback at Utah State. The coaching staff likes his speed and quickness, which has also been showcased in his track career at Helix.

Davis said he feels like the Aggies' defense is a good fit for his skill set - he prefers to drop back into man-to-man coverage. The San Diego County native said he was impressed with the Aggies' performance in the Poinsettia Bowl, and he gets along well with cornerbacks coach Kendrick Shaver, who recruited him after Kevin Clune's departure.

Like the other Aggie cornerback commits, Davis was also spurred to make Utah State his destination when he learned about Will Davis going into the NFL last year, and Nevin Lawson working to get drafted this year.

"That made a big impression," he said. "I know they can get a DB to the next level, and that's what I'm looking for."

Davis said he was impressed by the Utah State facilities, but added that the player reception was the biggest factor during his official visit on the weekend of Jan. 17. Rashad Stewart, his host, was among the many welcoming faces he encountered in Logan.

"They showed me nothing but love," he said. "They showed me everybody is going to have my back."

You can watch Davis' Hudl tape here to see some of his big returns.

Kyle Goonkgoon@sltrib.comTwitter: @kylegoon