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A standout defensive back and wide receiver at Gainesville (Ga.) High School, Williamson had a bevy of scholarship offers from power programs, including Notre Dame, Auburn, Georgia, Virginia Tech and Michigan. He opted for Florida but started only once as a Gator, in his sophomore season. At Minnesota, he expects to fill various roles.
“I play multiple positions on the back end, and that’s something I pride myself in,’’ Williamson said. “I like to cross-train a lot, which is something you hear with a lot of our DBs.’’
He has a fan in Tyler Johnson, the Gophers’ standout receiver.
“Oh, man. That dude, he can ball,’’ Johnson said. “Basically, what I’ve seen so far in the film room is he’s a guy who’s making a lot of plays.’’
Durability, Fleck said, will be important for Williamson. “I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do,’’ the coach said. “We’ve got to keep him healthy. He was somebody we brought in and relied on to plug a hole.’’
Smith, meanwhile, was brought in, along with transfer Royal Silver (Iowa Western Community College) to bolster the defensive line. He used his year off well.
“Sitting out was a good thing for me,’’ Smith said, a Bossier City, La., native who chose Alabama over Mississippi State. “I came in, learned the playbook, learned the players around me, learned the program and the culture, and I feel like I’m ready to go.’’
And if Smith and Williamson deliver on their promise, the Gophers defense could be all the better for the additions.
“Coming from where we came from last year, we’re light years ahead of where we were,’’ Williamson said, comparing this year’s Gophers to the 2017 version. “We’ve got a lot of guys who are bonding and doing the right thing and believing in what Coach Fleck has in store for us.’’
http://www.startribune.com/two-transfers-from-sec-teams-hope-to-make-impact-with-gophers/490609171/
“I play multiple positions on the back end, and that’s something I pride myself in,’’ Williamson said. “I like to cross-train a lot, which is something you hear with a lot of our DBs.’’
He has a fan in Tyler Johnson, the Gophers’ standout receiver.
“Oh, man. That dude, he can ball,’’ Johnson said. “Basically, what I’ve seen so far in the film room is he’s a guy who’s making a lot of plays.’’
Durability, Fleck said, will be important for Williamson. “I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do,’’ the coach said. “We’ve got to keep him healthy. He was somebody we brought in and relied on to plug a hole.’’
Smith, meanwhile, was brought in, along with transfer Royal Silver (Iowa Western Community College) to bolster the defensive line. He used his year off well.
“Sitting out was a good thing for me,’’ Smith said, a Bossier City, La., native who chose Alabama over Mississippi State. “I came in, learned the playbook, learned the players around me, learned the program and the culture, and I feel like I’m ready to go.’’
And if Smith and Williamson deliver on their promise, the Gophers defense could be all the better for the additions.
“Coming from where we came from last year, we’re light years ahead of where we were,’’ Williamson said, comparing this year’s Gophers to the 2017 version. “We’ve got a lot of guys who are bonding and doing the right thing and believing in what Coach Fleck has in store for us.’’
http://www.startribune.com/two-transfers-from-sec-teams-hope-to-make-impact-with-gophers/490609171/
