Gateway’s Davis finds a home in Pitt backfield

When Derrick Davis Jr. was in the huddle before what turned out to be Pitt’s game-winning touchdown in the 107th Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia on Sept. 14 at Acrisure Stadium, he had one simple thought in mind.

“I had to score. I had to get in that end zone,” said the Gateway graduate and Panthers redshirt junior who got the call on the climactic play from the 1 and scored with 32 seconds left to give Pitt the lead in what turned out to be a 38-34 come-from-behind final.

“From there, I knew everything would take care of itself. It was one of the best feelings in the world. I still look back on it like, ‘Wow, this is crazy. I scored the game-winning touchdown in the Backyard Brawl.’ I am still star-struck about it.”

Davis helped Pitt record its second straight come-from-behind win. The Panthers rallied from down 27-6 late in the third quarter to beat Cincinnati, 28-27, on Sept. 7.

The Panthers were down 34-24 to the Mountaineers with four minutes left in the fourth quarter before redshirt freshman Eli Holstein helped engineer two TD drives to bring Pitt all the way back.

“That was such a fun experience,” said Davis, who witnessed his first Backyard Brawl last year in Morgantown.

“It wasn’t my first time being in a big game like that, but I just loved the energy the crowd brought to the stadium. On one side, you could hear all West Virginia fans, and on the other side you could hear all Pitt fans. I love rivalry games a lot.

“It is nice to have had the start we had, but we’re not satisfied. We have to keep our focus, especially for when we start ACC games. We have the talent, the players and the ability. It is just a matter of putting it all together.”

Davis enrolled at Pitt in January 2023 as a mid-year transfer from LSU. He saw action in eight games in the 2023 season and recorded two carries for 8 yards against Wofford and made a solo tackle on kickoff coverage against Louisville.

“When I first got to Pitt, I knew I had to transition to the team and into my new position,” said Davis, whose first Division I offer out of the many he received was from Pitt.

“It kind of took me a little bit of time. I had to sit back while the other guys played the position. For me, it was a good learning experience with how the offense worked and learning how to read opposing defenses. I know I could’ve played, but I am glad I sat back for the most part. It kept me grounded. It kept me hungry.”

Davis said weight room work, offensive study and conditioning workouts were a big part of his winter work in between last season and spring practices in March and April.

Davis said work up to and including the spring game at Acrisure Stadium on April 13 allowed him to develop more and take that next step despite recovering from a hamstring issue that tried to slow him down.

“The spring work was great for allowing me to show some things in the backfield with running the ball, catching the ball, making defenders miss and being elusive,” he said.

“It helped me understand more what it takes to be a running back at this level. With the hamstring, I made sure I took special care of it so something worse didn’t happen.”

Davis said he made sure there was no drop off as he went through the summer in preparation for preseason camp in August.

“I really concentrated on workouts to help me be more explosive,” Davis said. “It also was just a continuation of learning the playbook.”

Pitt running backs coach Lindsey Lamar said Davis sets a strong example in the running backs room for the underclassmen and veterans alike.

“His work ethic and preparation set a great standard for others to follow,” Lamar said.

“That’s why he’s always ready when his number is called. We had no doubt he’d get in the end zone against West Virginia. I’m thrilled that a hometown hero like Derrick had a moment like that. He earned it and I know he will continue to be a big factor for us this season.”

Davis came out of Gateway as one of the top sought after prospects in the country.

He finished his Gators career with 3,898 rushing yards on 493 carries (7.9 average) and 1,448 receiving yards on 109 catches. He totaled 77 touchdowns.

An Under Armour All-American, Davis also earned all-star honors both locally and throughout the state. He was able to run strong twice in WPIAL title- game victories at Acrisure Stadium (2017) and at Norwin High School (2019).

“It feels great to run on the turf at Acrisure Stadium and play in front of my family and friends,” Davis said.

“Everyone wants to be on that field where the Steelers play. I am happy to be able to take advantage of that. I know that it is going to continue to take hard work and dedication to keep me there.”