Film Evaluation: Davon Townley

Penn State’s final addition in the Class of 2021 is a big one, both literally and figuratively. Davon Townley of North Community High School in Minneapolis joined the Nittany Lions on National Signing Day, filling in a missing gap in a small recruiting class in need of more help at defensive end.

Listed at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, Townley is new to the game of football, but he’s an athletically gifted player who’s dripping with potential.

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Frame/Tools: At 6-6, Townley has a massive frame that can easily add lean mass, but he’s also an explosive athlete. That’s a potent combination. Just a quick check of his basketball highlights confirms that Townley has the necessary spring in his legs to get the jump on tackles at the next level. His first two steps are impressive and he shows early signs of being able to bull rush as well. Not only that, but he has impressive long speed when asked to open up and run. Whether it’s chasing down a runner in the open field or running vertically as a tight end, he’s an impressive athlete to watch move.

Not only that, but Townley has impressive long speed when asked to open up and run. Whether it’s chasing down a runner in the open field or running vertically as a tight end, he’s an impressive athlete to watch move.

Townley has been well-coached to this point in his career and has an impressively low pad level for a player his size. This allows him to dominate smaller blockers with his lower-body strength and an impressive reach. He’s simply a stellar athletic prospect. Whether it’s his length, strength, quickness, speed or body control, you are not really left wanting more after watching Townley.

Play Through Contact/Physicality: In general, Townley is already a good run defender who plays to the ball instead of the blocker. He does a good job of keeping gap control and not focusing on the player blocking him, but rather keeping his eyes on the ball. This is a trait of the very best run defenders who treat blockers as obstacles instead of seeing them as their assignment. For a player just learning the sport, this is impressive.

With his prototype size and appetite for contact, Townley projects as a stellar run defender. For a player who was focused mainly on basketball until a year ago, he’s taken to football like a duck to water. You can even see how he translates boxing out to bodying smaller defenders out of the way while focusing on the ball carrier. The ability to translate those skills so creatively hints that he’s capable of much more given time and training.

Hand Usage: It’s not that Townley is an expert tactician with a full arsenal of moves when it comes to hand fighting, because he’s not. This is more in respect to the fact that he picked up the sport in 2019 and then only played a limited schedule this season. Despite that, Townley made massive strides as a football player his senior season and has shown on a regular basis that he’s got a firm grasp of the basics.

He still has a ways to go in consistency and translating these moves to his pass rush but the fact that he approaches plays with an actual plan is a fantastic sign. Some players who have been in the sport their whole lives can’t take that coaching and translate it to the field the way Townley has.

Second Reaction: I think it’s pretty clear that the Minnesota native understands his assignment on most plays. He shows a good understanding of gap integrity and doesn’t spend a lot of time chasing ghosts or trying to play out of his assignment. However, his newness to the game does show up on the second reaction to plays.

Whether it's his coaching or if it’s Townley being content to just guard the backside of plays, he doesn’t consistently chase runners down from the backside. I don’t think this is an effort issue, but more of a lack of understanding that he can make an impact on the play while still holding his backside responsibility. This also shows up on offense when he’s jammed at the line of scrimmage or he’s asked to hold his block longer than normal. He’s clearly picked up quite a bit in a short period of time, so he’s smart and studious. Time and coaching will help him get a fuller understanding to where he’s instinctive on the field.

Turning the Corner: Townley’s basketball skills show up as a pass rusher in a big way. He does a good job of creating space for himself and then getting an angle on the tackle to attack the quarterback. There’s almost a euro-step to the way he approaches blockers at times. The problem is that when he does get to the top of his rush, he has a hard time bending back to the quarterback.

This is one of the few times that Townley shows any stiffness or any propensity to lose his center of gravity. Most of the teams he faced in high school were run-heavy attacks, so it stands to reason that he did not have the chance to practice his pass rush as much as he did his run defense. With time and coaching, he should be able to put those same skills to use as a pass rusher. There are fewer examples of his ability to use his hands as a rusher than there are in run defense. The skills are absolutely translatable, but he’ll have to show it first.

Learning Curve: Whether it’s where he places his hands, wasted steps or some improvements in his fundamentals, there are areas where Townley can improve as a football player. He’ll need to take the next step from gifted athlete who’s figuring it out to a smart player with an advanced understanding of the nuances of playing defense if he wants to see the field. This is true of every prospect, but Townley will be behind in a lot of ways when he gets to Penn State. He’ll have to be dedicated to learning the sport in order to translate his considerable gifts.

Edge Defender: Townley joins a small recruiting class full of high upside players. With his size and physical tools, he could have the highest ceiling of any of the players joining the Nittany Lions this cycle, and that’s saying quite a bit. He also has the furthest to go of any of the players in this group.

In some ways, he’s comparable to former Penn State running back Journey Brown. While Brown was seen as a track athlete during his recruitment, it became very clear that he had the right mentality to be a talented football player. All he needed was for the light to come on. While other skill position players may see the field first, Townley could eventually develop in a similar way. He’s not just a basketball player; he’s a physical presence who has the chance to develop into the next great defensive end for Penn State.

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