Arkansas Football: Inside Look at Incoming Freshman Jonathan Williams
By Ryan Wright
Fayetteville, Ark. – Complete back package, all-purpose tailback, running back of the future, however one wants to describe Jonathan Williams using those terms they would be correct.
At the end of the 2012 college football season Arkansas will lose three 2011 starting running backs to graduation (RB Dennis Johnson, RB Ronnie Wingo Jr., and FB Kiero Small) and possibly a forth tailback (Knile Davis) as an early entry to the NFL Draft.
Williams, 5’11”, 205 pounds, comes to campus at the perfect time to learn from an All-American in Dennis Johnson (2010) and All-SEC running back Knile Davis (2010).
With the mass exodus of skilled position players due to leave at the conclusion of the 2012 college football season, the future for Williams in Fayetteville is what he makes of the opportunity.
The Allen High School (Texas) prep star excelled as a duel threat option out of the backfield running and receiving. Earning playing time as a sophomore Williams carried the ball 35 times for 263 yards with 4 touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 39 yards with one score. All signs of things to come.
In 2010 Williams had a breakout season rushing for 2,078 yards with 19 touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 174 receiving yards with one for a touchdown.
During his senior season Williams again excelled for the Eagles carrying the ball 187 times for 1,169 yards and 12 touchdowns and pulled in 14 passes for 161 yards with two scores. His skill set is very reminiscent of another Arkansas Razorback running back, Knile Davis.
Williams has solid hands and good moves in the open field. He does not shy away from contact and much like Davis and former Arkansas Razorback Darren McFadden excels at second level cuts in the open field using his 4.45 forty-yard dash speed.
Williams is a consensus 4-star recruit by every major recruiting service and ranges in rankings at the running back position from No. 17 by Rivals, No. 20 by Scout.com, and No. 13 by 247Sports.
Finding time on the field in the Razorback backfield as a true freshman may be difficult for Williams. Beyond giving carries to Wingo, Johnson, Davis, and Small Arkansas has another big back in Kody Walker looking for carries in 2012 as well.
If Williams comes to fall camp ready to play the Razorbacks would benefit in 2013 by giving their second highest rated recruit a couple of carries in 2012 warm-up games against Jacksonville State and University of Louisiana Monroe before squaring off against SEC West rival Alabama.
Arkansas landed Williams over offers from Wisconsin, Baylor, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia among others, most notably University of Missouri.
Inside the Numbers
People marvel at The House that Ruth Built perhaps others will marvel at The House that Williams Built?
Allen High School, the third largest high school in Texas with an enrollment rate of more than 5,000 students per year (9-12), is in the process of building a $60 million football stadium to be completed before the start of the 2012 high school season begins. The stadium will have a seating capacity of 18,000.
Head coach Tom Westerberg won the school’s first state title in 2008 and appears ready to add a couple more to the trophy case in their new digs.
See you in September…
When Alabama comes to town high school teammates will become college enemies. Williams high school quarterback Alec Morris signed with the Tide over offers from North Texas and Wake Forest.
The Allen Eagles have been District Champions since 2006 (six straight years).
According to the Allen High School Athletic Department 19 players from their 2011 team signed national letters of intent.
Arkansas Razorback Recruits 2012
OG Cordale Boyd, 3-star, 6’3”, 290 pounds, Memphis, TN
OG Jeremy Ward, 3-star, 6’4”, 290 pounds, Pottsville, AR
WR D’Arthur Cowan, 3-star, 6’1’, 175 pounds, Olive Branch, MS
WR Keon Hatcher, 4-star, 6’1”, 195 pounds, Owasso, OK
WR Eric Hawkins, 3-star, 6’5”, 220, Longview, TX
WR #Demetrius Wilson, 3-star, 6’2”, 170 pounds, Glendale, AZ
WR McKale McKay, 3-star, 6’6”, 192 pounds, Louisville, KY
RB Nathan Holmes, 3-star, 6’1”, 180 pounds, Port Arthur, TX
RB Donovan Roberts, 3-star, 6’0”, 200 pounds, Norman, OK
RB Jonathan Williams, 4-star, 5’11”, 205 pounds, Allen, TX
TE/DE Jeremy Sprinkle, 3-star, 6’6”, 215, White Hall, AR
TE *Demetrius Dean, 3-star, 6’3”, 250 pounds, Fayetteville, AR
CB Ray Buchanan Jr., 3-star, 5’10”, 170 pounds, Suwanee, GA
CB Jared Collins, 3-star, 5’11”, 170 pounds, Tulsa, OK
FS Will Hines, 3-star, 6’1”, 175 pounds, Waco, TX
SS Defonta Lowe, 3-star, 6’2”, 180 pounds, Bearden, AR
LB A.J. Turner, 3-star, 6’3”, 200 pounds, Lepanto, AR
LB Vin Ascolese, 3-star, 6’2”, 215 pounds, New Bergen, NJ
LB Otha Peters, 4-star, 6’1”, 220 pounds, Covington, LA
DE Brandon Lewis, 3-star, 6’5”, 220 pounds, Memphis, TN
DE JaMichael Winston, 3-star, 6’6”, 230 pounds, Prichard, AL
DE Darius Philon, 3-star, 6’1”, 282 pounds, Prichard, AL
DE Deatrich Wise Jr., 4-star, 6’5”, 220 pounds, Carrolton, TX
DE Taiwan Johnson, 3-star, 6’3”, 240 pounds, Manvel, TX
DE *#Austin Flynn, 3-star, 6’4”, 250 pounds, Los Angeles Harbor CC
*Early enrollee at University of Arkansas
# Denotes junior college player
Position by position breakdown of Arkansas 2012 verbal commitments:
Offensive line: two
Running backs: three
Wide receivers: five
Quarterbacks: none
Tight ends: two
Defensive line: six
Linebackers: three
Safeties: two
Cornerbacks: two
Kickers: none