College Football

Ohio State-Michigan rivalry takes stage at Elite 11 Finals

Updated Jun. 15, 2023 12:10 p.m. ET

College Football and College Basketball Writer

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. — Jadyn Davis cocked his head back and smiled when the question was asked. So many people, he said, misunderstand and mischaracterize his relationship with fellow blue-chip quarterback prospect Air Noland. Just because Davis committed to Michigan and Noland committed to Ohio State doesn't mean there is animosity between the future rivals.

"The media and fans try to make it something it's not," Davis said in an interview with FOX Sports. "We knew each other growing up in Georgia. And we compete, you know? I want the best for him, and he wants the best for me. If we're competing, we're pushing each other to become better. That's my friend. Obviously, we step on the field (and) it's competition. But it's not no bad blood or anything. I just wanted to make the record clear for other people."

For the second time this spring, Davis and Noland are sharing the field at a high-profile quarterback competition. The rising seniors first tangled at an Elite 11 regional outside Atlanta last month, with Noland edging his childhood friend to earn an automatic invite to this year's Elite 11 Finals, the nation's premier showcase for high school signal-callers. Davis was among a handful of additional quarterbacks deemed worthy of admission by the event's organizers and coaches to round out the field.

The 2023 Elite 11 Finals began Wednesday on an overcast and unseasonably cool evening at Redondo Union High School outside Los Angeles, where 20 of the top 45 quarterbacks in the 247Sports Composite rankings navigated the first of three sessions before an MVP is crowned later this week. Davis, a five-star prospect rated the No. 4 quarterback in the cycle, and Noland, a four-star prospect rated the No. 6 quarterback, were placed in the same subgroup for the night's passing circuit in what amounted to a potential preview of future showdowns between the Wolverines and Buckeyes. Both players were comfortably among the top five performers after Day 1, and they'll spend plenty of time together as roommates throughout the week.

"I've been knowing him since middle school and going to camps with him," Noland said. "It's crazy now that we're kind of opposite because he's a Michigan commit. It's good to see a friend of mine committing to a high-level school, but still ‘Go Bucks' at the same time."

Hearing Noland publicly praise the Buckeyes should offer some reassurance to fans who had wondered about the strength of his commitment. Beginning in late May, rumors about a potential change of heart trickled through social media. Tweets from sources of questionable repute suggested Noland was interested in adding official visits to Oregon and LSU to his summer calendar. Further gossip regarding a potential decommitment by five-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, another Ohio State pledge in attendance this week, made the rumblings difficult to ignore.

But everything that unfolded Wednesday evening was surely encouraging for head coach Ryan Day and his staff, whose 2024 recruiting class ranks third nationally and second in the Big Ten behind Michigan. Noland, who sported an Ohio State wristband, told FOX Sports he and Smith had discussed the social media rumors in real time and reaffirmed to each other their continued desire to play for the Buckeyes. That Smith showed up at the Elite 11 Finals wearing Ohio State gloves was another positive sign.

"I'll be back up in Columbus this weekend," said Nolan, who will fly from California to Ohio for his official visit. "Building my relationship with the coaches and keep learning more about Ohio State."

When asked what he hopes to accomplish during a weekend in which the Buckeyes will reportedly host a quartet of five-star prospects in safety KJ Bolden (No. 7 overall, No. 1 S); edge rusher Dylan Stewart (No. 9 overall, No. 2 edge); defensive lineman Eddrick Houston (No. 19 overall, No. 4 DL); and cornerback Kobe Black (No. 23 overall, No. 3 CB), Noland's answer seemed to cement his commitment.

"Just make sure the guys have the same point of view I have on Ohio State," Noland said. "Guys like KJ Bolden and whatnot, make sure he's seeing what I'm seeing and make sure the coaches are authentic with him, just as they were with me when I visited the first time. Just making sure guys see eye-to-eye with me. The point of view is to get them to commit. Get them to commit and see why Ohio State is the best choice."

An active recruiter role is something Davis embraced from the moment he committed to Michigan on March 31, a date that might well be remembered as the turning point for a class that ranks second nationally with verbal pledges from 12 blue-chip prospects six months before the early signing period in December.

Davis told FOX Sports his understanding of the role quarterbacks can play in building a recruiting class prompted him to commit well in advance of the critical summer window for official visits. Five of the 11 four-star prospects committed to Michigan gave their pledges after Davis had joined the class, and three of those players are on the offensive side of the ball in tight end Brady Prieskorn (No. 72 overall, No. 5 TE) and offensive tackles Andrew Sprague (No. 156 overall, No. 10 OT) and Blake Fraizer (No. 179 overall, No. 14). Part of the reason why the Wolverines' 2023 recruiting class finished 17th nationally and third in the Big Ten was the lack of an elite quarterback to anchor the group.

"Nobody wants to play for a bad quarterback," Davis said. "And especially a receiver, you want to catch from a great quarterback. The O-line doesn't want to block for somebody that isn't going to get rid of the ball. ... So I feel like the team is all wrapped around the quarterback. That's why I committed a little bit earlier than most, just because I wanted to get the team around me and build the class.

"I think this could be a once in a — not generation or lifetime, but a very big class. One of the biggest classes in Michigan history."

But as with Noland, Davis has been forced to push through some unsavory social media scuttlebutt over the last few months. Though he debuted as one of the best overall prospects in the class of 2024, Davis' rankings have slipped on most recruiting services. 247Sports and Rivals continue to view him as a five-star prospect, though both have dropped him from the overall top 20. ESPN and On3 rate Davis as a four-star prospect, with the latter placing him at No. 115 in its most recent rankings.

Perhaps that's why Davis was so intrigued by a presentation from Dr. Michael Gervais, a performance psychologist, who addressed the Elite 11 quarterbacks during the classroom portion of Wednesday's schedule. Gervais previously spent nine seasons working for the Seattle Seahawks and has co-authored a book with Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.

"He really put in perspective how everybody trains their body, but not really their mind," Davis said. "If you do (train your mind), kudos to you, you're advanced. But as a high school kid, especially in this world of NIL and social media, you really have to be able to train your mind, block out all the outside noise and actually know the power of your position. In this world, there's a lot of negative influences. But being a quarterback, you're the leader of the team, and you have the most influence in the community, especially in high school. So if you're promoting something, then others will follow as well."

It's the kind of thing he and Noland might discuss in their hotel room this week.

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter at @Michael_Cohen13.

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