BLACK & GOLD TRIBUNE PROFILE: AKEEM DAVIS-GAITHER
Career: Received All-America recognition (fourth team, Phil Steele) and Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year as a senior to close career in which he totaled 258 tackles, 28.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, 18 passes defended (with one interception and 17 PBUs), two forced fumbles and one blocked field goal (to end a 34-31 win at North Carolina) … Taken with the first pick of the fourth round (No. 107 overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft ... First-team All-Sun Belt as a senior and second-team All-Sun Belt as a junior … Playing in 55 games over five seasons, was on teams that went a combined 54-12 with a 5-0 bowl record and four straight conference titles … Named a Top 100 draft prospect by the Athletic and named to the Reese’s Senior Bowl as a senior … Made watch lists for the Butkus and Bednarik awards … Named the Sun Belt’s hardest hitter by Street & Smith ... Part of just the fifth class in college football history to win five bowl games and four conference championships, joining five-year classes from Nebraska (1969-73), Alabama (1975-79), Florida State (1991-95) and Marshall (1988-2002) ... In two seasons as a full-time starter, accumulated 209 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss and 15 pass breakups (tied for No. 3 nationally among non-DBs) while leading defenses that ranked No. 4 and No. 21 in fewest points allowed per game.
2019: All-America selection (fourth-team, Phil Steele), Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Sun Belt after posting 104 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, eight PBUs, one interception (in the second half of the 34-31 win at North Carolina) and one blocked field goal (to end the UNC win) … Team captain for five games as App State went 13-1 to become the first FBS program from North Carolina or the first Sun Belt team to win 13 games … PFF College credited him with 23 quarterback pressures during the regular season … Ranked fourth nationally among non-DBs in 2019 with eight PBUs … In App State's four closest regular-season games, totaled 44 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three PBUs, one interception and one field goal block … Then recorded 19 tackles in the Mountaineers' two postseason victories … In addition to his 10 tackles, second-half interception and game-ending block at UNC, posted 2.5 tackles for loss with one sack, two PBUs and a forced holding penalty on the game's final play in the 20-15 victory at South Carolina … Named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week after posting 11 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, including half a sack, in the 17-7 win against a Louisiana team that was leading the country in rushing … Posted a career-high 16 tackles against Georgia Southern.
2018: Second-team All-Sun Belt selection … Outside linebacker started all 13 games and had a team-leading 105 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and three quarterback hurries for a defense that ranked fourth nationally in points allowed per game … Ranked No. 3 in the Sun Belt by averaging 9.0 tackles per game in league play during the regular season … Tied for No. 8 nationally among non-DBs with the seven pass breakups … Had three games with at least 14 tackles, highlighted by a 15-tackle, one-sack effort in a regular season win against Louisiana. Had 29 stops over two games thanks to a 14-tackle game against Arkansas State before the first Louisiana game and added 14 stops against Troy in a regular season finale that determined the Sun Belt’s East Division title.
2017: Saw action in all 13 games as an outside linebacker and started in three straight when senior Devan Stringer was sidelined by injury … Started against Coastal Carolina, at UMass and at ULM, where he totaled 10 tackles (eight solo) … Finished the season with 33 tackles (24 solo) … Recorded at least one tackle in the final nine games of the season … Had one tackle for loss against Coastal Carolina.
2016: Saw action in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman … Best performance came at New Mexico State, where he posted six solo tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack … Finished the year with 16 total tackles (12 solo, four assists), 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup.
2015: Appeared in two games at outside linebacker against Howard and Clemson in his first season at App State.
High School: Rated a two-star prospect by Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports ... Named second-team all-state and Central Carolina Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a senior ... Two-time all-county selection ... Three-time all-conference honoree ... Put up 115 tackles (61 solo), 33 tackles for loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles as a senior and 93 tackles (46 solo), 21 tackles for loss, three sacks and three forced fumbles as a junior ... Also played running back and tallied eight rushing touchdowns over his final two prep seasons ... Earned an invite to the 2014 Shrine Bowl 100 invite-only camp ... A Davidson County Student-Athlete of the Month ... Coached by Allen Brown and Wes Mattera ... In addition to four letters in football, earned three in track and field, two in basketball and one in baseball.
Personal: Full name is Akeem Brian Davis ... Born Sept. 21, 1997 ... Son of Mona Davis and Keith Gaither … Youngest of three siblings ... Father is an assistant coach (wide receivers) at Western Michigan.
