2025 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Imani Christian’s David Davis

By: Matthew Purucker
Friday, August 1, 2025 | 8:16 PM

Availability is an important part of David Davis’ impact.

Davis missed several weeks of the 2023 season after tearing muscles in his elbow and fracturing his radius, but that did not deter him in 2024 and is certainly behind him heading in 2025.

“(Last year) was good, especially because I was coming off an injury a season before my sophomore year,” said Davis, a rising senior defensive back and running back at Imani Christian. “So it was a good comeback year.”

Davis also has shown the value in his availability through his mid-4-second 40-yard dash speed, athleticism and football IQ, along with his leadership in the locker room. Those attributes have allowed him to thrive regardless of where he is on the field, especially on defense.

“David is a talented football player that has tremendous speed and technique. He can play multiple positions. He is strong enough to play linebacker, but he is a corner by trade. He really sees the field well. That aspect is really important,” Imani Christian coach LaRoi Johnson said.

“As a safety, his communication is one of those smaller traits you don’t realize is as important as it is. We rely on that communication in the secondary. We can use him in the second level or the nickel. He is a really dynamic football player.”

Davis is ready to do whatever is asked of him, but if he had to pick one position, it would be safety. His playmaking skills caught the attention of Penn State, the first Division I school to give him an offer, and Davis rewarded that early interest by committing to play for the Nittany Lions in March.

“I decided to commit to Penn State based off of Penn State taking care of Penn State,” Davis said. “The coaching staff is great. … And I also got a teammate up there (Dayshaun Burnett) right now, so I already got a step ahead, like I know how it is in the system.”

While Davis has excelled in the secondary, he has stood out the most at kick returner. He earned Allegheny 7 all-conference honors last year and has several kick return touchdowns in his career. Davis can flip field position with his returns and often has punters questioning if they should kick to him.

“Being honest, to be a great kick returner, you gotta trust the people in front of you. First of all, because you can’t see, that’s the thing. Like, you gotta have a great bond with the people in front of you,” Davis said. “You gotta give them the most trust in the world that your life’s in their hands. At this point, it’s fun, I ain’t gonna lie, but to know that no matter what, no matter how the ball’s gonna spin, I know they’re gonna do their job. As long as they do their job, I can do mine and make it 10 times easier (for the team).”

Because teammate and fellow Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team member Gabe Jenkins had a breakout season in 2024, Davis had limited reps at running back. But with former quarterback Steve Vandiver graduating and Jenkins taking snaps at quarterback, Davis should see his role in the offense expand in 2025.

However, personal objectives do not concern Davis relative to the team’s goals. Because he has a secure future in going to State College next year, he is focusing on doing the best he can to prepare Imani Christian to contend for championships in the fall and years to come.

“This offseason mainly (has) been based off of leadership, learning about how to become a leader for the young guys on the team because we got a younger team this year,” Davis said. “It’s gonna be mostly a lot of young guys, a lot of freshmen from last year, sophomores from last year, having to step up and do what they need to do to help us.”

Tags: Imani Christian