SMU’s sturdy, high-IQ interior anchor who helped fuel a disruptive defense
In the 2019 season, Pono Davis started all 13 games for SMU, posted 30 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks while helping drive a defense that ranked first nationally in sacks per game and third in tackles for loss[2][12]. He looks like a classic interior tone-setter: tough, assignment-sound, and productive enough to make quarterbacks feel the heat from the middle. ESPN lists him with 39 solo tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 forced fumble in his SMU career[7]. The added bonus is the off-field profile—three-time AAC all-academic honoree and Hula Bowl invite—so the fit is strong for a team wanting dependable trench production plus brains and consistency[2][6][14].
