Davis Compton Mills (born October 21, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford and was selected by the Texans in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Mills became Houston's starter during his first season and set the franchise record for rookie passing yards.
Early years
Mills was born on October 21, 1998, in Atlanta, Georgia, later attending Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, Georgia. During his career, he passed for 6,290 yards and 66 touchdowns. He was selected to the 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, but was unable to play due to an injury. A five-star recruit, Mills was ranked as the top quarterback in his class. He committed to Stanford University to play college football.
College career
Mills redshirted his freshman year for the Stanford Cardinal in 2017. In 2018, he appeared in one game as a backup to K. J. Costello. He entered 2019 as a backup to Costello, but started six of eight games after Costello was injured. Against Washington State, he set a school record with 504 passing yards. He finished the 2019 season completing 158 of 241 passes for 1,960 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Mills played in five games during Stanford's pandemic-shortened 2020 season, completing 129 of 195 passes for 1,508 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.