All that jazz: How Miles Davis is keeping BYU running backs in tune

PROVO — If you want to make a joke with his name or ask about the world-renowned trumpeter of the 20th century, BYU running back Miles Davis has probably heard it before.

"Growing up, that was the thing," Davis said. "All of my teachers talked to me about Miles Davis, and they wondered if I played instruments. It's still a big thing to this day."

For those asking, Davis never learned to play the trumpet, the saxophone or even the harmonica.

His game was less smooth and more hard-hitting. His trumpet was speed and running routes as a 1,041-yard, 11-touchdown receiver at Las Vegas High School, the individual notes.

Davis made a transition since graduating in the Wildcats' Class of 2020, too. But he still hasn't picked up the harmonica.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound COVID-freshman has made the complete adjustment to running back, and he's been one of the breakout stars of the first week of BYU's fall camp. The status was cemented Saturday during the Cougars' first live scrimmage of training camp, when Davis ran for a touchdown on a day that was mostly dominated by BYU's defense, including fellow freshman and Orem High product Ethan Slade snagging two interceptions.

But Davis' game has been turning heads. Even with the return of running back Tyler Allgeier — the No. 9 draft-eligible running back in the country by Phil Steele Magazine — and all-purpose back Lopini Katoa, Davis is earning a spot in the rotation for the Cougars, alongside other backup running backs like Hinckley Ropati and Mason Fakahua.

"That guy is a good player, and he's going to play for us," BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said after Saturday's scrimmage. "That one needs to be said; he stands out every time he plays. He just plays at a different speed than everybody else."

BYU didn't keep statistics for Saturday's scrimmage, but Davis definitely found the end zone — a moment he won't forget, even if he hopes to replace it with plenty more trips-for-six during the regular season, which starts Sept. 4 against Arizona in Las Vegas.

"My favorite memory from that day," Davis said, "was when I scored, and all the older guys just came over and hyped me up.

"I was happy for that, seeing all my other teammates so happy."

Speed was Davis' game as a standout senior receiver in Las Vegas. An eight-time junior Olympian in the 200-meter dash and 400-meter run, the wideout averaged 22.6 yards per reception as a senior while racking up offers from UCLA, Washington, Montana, Sacramento State and UNLV.

But he chose BYU over all those offers, where he plans to major in sports medicine, and enrolled in classes a year ago with eyes on cracking the two-deep in 2020.

As has been well-documented, that season didn't go as planned — for Davis, for BYU, or for any team in the country. COVID-19 wreaked havoc on schedules across the country, few moreso than BYU's, and Davis was briefly left without a position.

Then came a brilliant idea: why not turn Davis' speed into a weapon out of the backfield? Between bruising back Allgeier (with a surprising amount of speed himself) and shifty pass-catcher Katoa, the Cougars could always use another burst out of the backfield.

Davis played in four games in 2020, averaging 6.4 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns, and added another four catches for 43 yards.

It was a change of pace for him, but one he enjoyed.

"Transitioning to a running back was fun," he said with a smile on his face. "That's a fun position; I love playing running back."

Davis took the offseason and trained with former BYU star running back Jamal Willis, another Las Vegas native who graduated from Bonanza High. Willis came to BYU as a 6-foot-3, 220-pound running back and left as one of the top rushers in school history with 2,877 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Under Willis' tutelage, Davis has learned some of the finer techniques of playing running back, such as ball control and hip movements to enhance his speed.

His coaches are already taking notice of the changes, too.

"He's a very athletic, tough kid," said head coach Kalani Sitake, a former BYU fullback. "He's elusive, and he knows how to run with the ball in his hands. He has the natural instincts with the ball in his hands.

"He's a hard guy to tackle. You combine that with his willingness to learn, and he's got a tremendous amount of potential. Plus, he can catch the ball out of the backfield."

Davis doesn't play the trumpet, but he does emulate his game after an All-Pro standout who also made a football transition similar to his own: current Chiefs wide receiver Tyreke Hill.

The five-time Pro Bowler played running back at Oklahoma State, Garden City Community College and West Alabama before being drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft and going on to help Kansas City win Super Bowl LIV.

Like Davis (though obviously on a higher level than the Nevada state track championship), Hill was a track speedster, winning the gold medal on the 4x100-meter relay squad at the 2012 world junior championships in Barcelona and adding a bronze in the 200.

But Hill has taken his unique speed the opposite direction, from running back and returner to receiver, where he's caught 368 passes for 5,391 yards and 57 touchdowns in five seasons with the Chiefs.

"I try to look up to him, and try to feel how he felt," Davis said. "It's a big difference."

Mostly, though, Davis says he looks up to Allgeier and Katoa. He isn't out to supplant the two veterans and steal their playing time.

But if he's quickly moving up the depth chart, he won't complain, either.

"I feel like I've got a lot more I can do and a lot more to learn," Davis said. "I'm just looking to the older guys to learn and to get better."

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