Gulf Shores’ Carter Davis Brings Elite Speed, Versatility Into Senior Season

Gulf Shores senior wide receiver Carter Davis has drawn heavy attention from college recruiters, and it’s easy to see why. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound playmaker committed to West Virginia earlier this summer after also fielding interest from Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Miami, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, South Alabama and Troy.

Recruiters have taken notice of his ability to catch the ball and pick up yards after the catch, along with his production as a ball carrier. Last season, Davis caught 45 passes for 715 yards — a 15.9-yard average per catch — and nine touchdowns, while also carrying the ball 40 times for 118 yards and four more scores.

Much of his big-play ability traces back to elite speed. Davis won the Class 6A indoor track and field title last year in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.76 seconds, and has also posted times of 10.72 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 21.96 seconds in the 200-meter dash.

The Dolphins are coming off a 5-6 season that ended with a first-round playoff loss to Russell County in Class 6A. Gulf Shores now moves to Class 5A, Region 1 under the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s new alignment, sharing the region with Saraland, Spanish Fort, Theodore, Murphy, Elberta, Baldwin County and Blount. The top four teams in the region advance to the state playoffs.

Gulf Shores head coach Mark Hudspeth said Davis’s return to the offense is a significant boost for the team. “I think his play on the field speaks for itself,” Hudspeth said. “You know, he’s the fastest man in the state of Alabama. He’s got outstanding football skills, but what people don’t know, if you don’t know him, that he’s an outstanding young man — high character, great work ethic, humble — and when you put those things together, then you have a really special, special player.”

Hudspeth compared Davis to former standout Ronnie Royal, citing his ability to line up in multiple spots. “He’s the first player since Ronnie Royal that’s played that many positions, and we thought we’d seen the first and last of a Ronnie Royal-type talent until Carter,” Hudspeth said. “Carter has now filled that role and is just a player that you want to get the ball to and game plan to make sure he gets chances to help his team.” Hudspeth added that Davis has developed significantly through the team’s strength program, becoming a stronger and more complete player over the past few years.

Davis said he has put in extensive work heading into his senior season. “I’m very different. I worked my butt off to be in this situation and all I have to say to that question is stay tuned. My route running got better. My hands got better. Just me overall, me communicating with my teammates, just overall everything,” he said, adding that he expects to see more carries at running back this season.

Davis said West Virginia’s offensive scheme under head coach Rich Rodriguez, along with the program’s history with South Alabama players such as former Daphne quarterback Pat White, made the Mountaineers the right fit. “This area has got a good history with West Virginia with Pat White and a lot of other guys,” Davis said. “They fit my play style. When I go to college I’ll be playing slot, a little bit of outside and a little bit of running back. So it just made sense and it felt like home.”

Hudspeth agreed that the fit is a strong one. “It seems like the West Virginia offense is perfect for him,” he said. “They’re a tempo team. They’re a spread team, but you know, Rich Rod also believes in physical football play, and he’s a physical kid. He’s tough. He ain’t afraid to hit. He ain’t afraid to block and he’s big enough to break tackles. He’s going to be a really good pickup for them. There’s a lot of people in the state of Alabama that missed on him.”

The West Virginia connection

Pat White starred at quarterback for West Virginia from 2005 to 2008 after playing at Daphne High School, and he finished his college career as the NCAA’s career leader in rushing yards by a quarterback at the time. Rodriguez coached West Virginia from 2001 to 2007 and returned to lead the Mountaineers when the school rehired him in December 2024.