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Akeem Davis-Gaither

Linebacker · App State

Akeem Davis-Gaither turned an undersized frame and Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year honors into a productive seven-year NFL linebacking career.

Akeem Davis-Gaither has quietly built a reliable career as a versatile linebacker since coming out of Appalachian State. Now with the Indianapolis Colts, he arrives off a career year that proved he could handle a full-time starting role.

★ Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2019)

★ Career-high 117 tackles in 2025

★ 204 career tackles and two interceptions through his first five NFL seasons

Path to the league

Davis-Gaither starred at Appalachian State from 2015 to 2019, finishing his college career with 258 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, eight sacks and 18 passes defended. He was named Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2019 and earned fourth-team All-America recognition from Phil Steele. The Cincinnati Bengals drafted him in the fourth round, 107th overall, of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

Davis-Gaither spent the first five seasons of his career with the Bengals, appearing in 88 games with 24 starts and totaling 204 tackles, two interceptions, 11 passes defended and two forced fumbles. He has since developed into an every-down contributor, valued for his coverage instincts and special-teams versatility.

2025 season recap

Davis-Gaither played all 17 games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2025, starting 13 of them, and set career highs with 117 tackles and five passes defensed. It was the most productive season of his career and established him as a full-time starting linebacker.