UNT set to lose top linebacker KD Davis, who has elected to transfer late in offseason

A UNT source confirmed to the Denton Record-Chronicle a short time later that Davis is in the portal. He took to Twitter late in the afternoon and bid farewell to UNT.

“I want to thank you so much for the last 4 years of my football career and every accomplishment that has come with being a part of the team,” Davis wrote. “The decision has not been easy, but I have decided to enter the transfer portal to explore my options to play at another level and show my talents in a different environment.”

Other programs will now be able to contact Davis, who could remove his name from the portal and return to UNT for his senior season this fall, a move that seems unlikely.

UNT removed Davis from its online roster late Thursday afternoon.

The deadline for players to transfer and be eligible for the 2022 season was May 1. Davis will have to apply for a waiver from the NCAA if he transfers to another school, which would help him with the process. He has graduated from UNT.

Davis has ranked among UNT’s top players for the last three years and was the Mean Green’s lone first-team All-Conference USA selection last season. The former Ennis standout led UNT in total tackles with 121 and tackles for loss with 13.

There was some question as to if Davis would return for a fifth season at UNT after he helped lead the Mean Green to an appearance in Frisco Football Classic last season.

Davis appeared to put those questions to rest on Jan. 4 when he posted a simple note on his Twitter account with the message “Unfinished Business.” That tweet has since been deleted from Davis’ Twitter feed.

Losing Davis would be a significant blow for the Mean Green as they look to build on a 6-7 season that culminated with a loss to Miami (Ohio) in their fifth bowl game in six seasons under coach Seth Littrell.

Davis has racked up 289 tackles over the course of four seasons with the Mean Green. He has a fifth season of eligibility due to the NCAA’s decision to grant college football players an additional year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jordan Brown backed up Davis last season when he posted 28 tackles, recovered three fumbles and forced another.

UNT entered the offseason hoping that Davis would be a key part of its efforts to continue its growth defensively under coordinator Phil Bennett. The longtime college coach helped UNT cut the number of points it allowed per game from 42.8 in 2020 to 27.5 last season.

Continuing that improvement will be a whole lot tougher without Davis. UNT lost Tyreke Davis, who played Eagle, the hybrid linebacker/safety spot in Bennett’s defense, to graduation.

Tyreke Davis finished second among UNT players with 76 tackles in 2021.

Most of the key players on the Mean Green’s defensive front have also left the program. Starting defensive tackles Caleb Colvin and Dion Novil, a second-team All-C-USA selection, graduated after last season.

Defensive ends Grayson Murphy and Gabriel Murphy both transferred to UCLA.

Davis was among a handful of veteran players UNT held out of spring practice as it looked to fill a few holes in its lineup and continue the growth it showed last season.

Littrell was pleased with how his team’s defense looked and with the Mean Green’s growth overall in the spring.

“I feel good about how we have progressed and our culture,” Littrell said following UNT’s spring showcase, a workout that replaced a typical spring game. “That is what I am looking for more than anything. These guys love ball and love each other. They compete hard and their energy is good.”

UNT is facing the prospect of building on that growth without Davis after he entered his name in the transfer portal.