KRFO: Owatonna's Jason Williamson Will Battle for Time at Minnesota as RB

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BleedGopher

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per KRFO:

Owatonna's Jason Williamson wants to play running back for the University of Minnesota. Spring practice began this week for the Gophers and it's expected he will get reps in the offensive backfield at this time. Minnesota will likely return a pair of seniors at running back in the fall, but Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks are recovering from injuries currently according to 247sports.com.

The online sports service indicates that Williamson's numbers during his senior season with the Huskies opens up the door to being a Gophers' running back, "Jason was a guy that many saw being a defensive athlete at the next level, but his incredible production as a running back is earning him a long and serious look on the offensive side of the ball," they speculate.

Williamson rushed for over 3,000 in 2018 and scored 47 touchdowns while leading the Huskies' to their second straight state championship. More than 1,600 yards came during five playoff games where he averaged more than 10 yards per carry.

Owatonna football coach Jeff Williams said that Gophers' coach PJ Fleck told him Williamson will get a chance to make an impact as a running back. The other healthy running backs in spring ball include Mo Ibrahim, Bryce Williams and Nolan Edmonds according to 247sports.com.

https://krforadio.com/owatonnas-williamson-to-battle-for-time-at-running-back-for-gophers/

Go Gophers!!
 


Would love to see him make it at running back but I am mostly happy he is a Gopher - regardless of where he ends up by the time his days as a regular contributor arrive.
 

How does anyone write that story and not at least mention MBIII in it? Mason loved to tell the story of how Barber was one of the last guys in the class and the staff had him pegged as a DB but he asked for a shot at RB and the rest is history.

Not saying that is how things will work out for Williamson but there is a definite similarity to their stories.
 

Personal Disclaimer: I have proved, over and over again, that I am a terrible, awful, no good judge of talent regarding high school players and whether or not they'll excel at the next level. So take the following with several large helpings of salt.

That being said, I love the kid and am beyond happy that he's going to be wearing maroon and gold. But looking at his tape, I thought he looked like a safety or linebacker in the B1G. He didn't seem to have that fast-twitch quickness that you need as a runner at this level.

Hope I'm wrong. Most likely I will be wrong!
 


RememberMurray said:
Personal Disclaimer: I have proved, over and over again, that I am a terrible, awful, no good judge of talent regarding high school players and whether or not they'll excel at the next level. So take the following with several large helpings of salt.

That being said, I love the kid and am beyond happy that he's going to be wearing maroon and gold. But looking at his tape, I thought he looked like a safety or linebacker in the B1G. He didn't seem to have that fast-twitch quickness that you need as a runner at this level.

Hope I'm wrong. Most likely I will be wrong!
Click to expand...

He reminded me of a Robert Smith type that would just glide through the defense. I don't know what his speed is, but he definitely had a different running style... it never looked like he was running hard, instead it looked like he was in slow motion. I mean that as a compliment - not as I thought he was running slow but it seemed like he just knew where to be and how to run.
 

RememberMurray said:
Personal Disclaimer: I have proved, over and over again, that I am a terrible, awful, no good judge of talent regarding high school players and whether or not they'll excel at the next level. So take the following with several large helpings of salt.

That being said, I love the kid and am beyond happy that he's going to be wearing maroon and gold. But looking at his tape, I thought he looked like a safety or linebacker in the B1G. He didn't seem to have that fast-twitch quickness that you need as a runner at this level.

Hope I'm wrong. Most likely I will be wrong!
Click to expand...

I prefer that disclaimer to all the anonymous NFL scout / GM says articles I see that are just so empty and dumb.
 

MNfootballfan said:
He reminded me of a Robert Smith type that would just glide through the defense. I don't know what his speed is, but he definitely had a different running style... it never looked like he was running hard, instead it looked like he was in slow motion. I mean that as a compliment - not as I thought he was running slow but it seemed like he just knew where to be and how to run.
Click to expand...

That's a really good description and a much better way of saying it.

Robert Smith did have elite speed. Not sure if Williamson has.

Then again, Marcus Allen was no burner, yet he did... okay. :cool:
 

MNfootballfan said:
He reminded me of a Robert Smith type that would just glide through the defense. I don't know what his speed is, but he definitely had a different running style... it never looked like he was running hard, instead it looked like he was in slow motion. I mean that as a compliment - not as I thought he was running slow but it seemed like he just knew where to be and how to run.
Click to expand...

Yeah Robert absolutely seemed to make guys miss if only because he didn't run at 100% all the time... a guy would commit... and then he picked up speed forcing a bad angle by guys who aren't on the line.
 



A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Yeah Robert absolutely seemed to make guys miss if only because he didn't run at 100% all the time... a guy would commit... and then he picked up speed forcing a bad angle by guys who aren't on the line.
Click to expand...

I always thought Robert Smith was underrated as an NFL back.

He was banged up in his early years, and when he started to really break through he seemed to be lost in the shuffle with all the hoopla for Moss, Carter et al.

But Smith was a very good player.
 

If Williamson is getting reps this year, that means he is really good - or one of the other backs is injured.

Honestly, if Smith, Brooks, Mo and Williams are healthy, I just don't see many carries for Williamson.

And - being cynical - 99% of coaches when they're recruiting a kid, will say the kid has a chance to play right away. if the coach said "well, you're probably not going to see the field for 2 years," I don't know how many kids would commit based on that.

My big question about Williamson is raw speed. he's got the other skills, but I just wonder if he's got the top gear you need to be a solid D1 RB. It's hard to judge when you're watching him play against a lot of MN HS kids who are overmatched just on sheer athleticism.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
If Williamson is getting reps this year, that means he is really good - or one of the other backs is injured.

Honestly, if Smith, Brooks, Mo and Williams are healthy, I just don't see many carries for Williamson.

And - being cynical - 99% of coaches when they're recruiting a kid, will say the kid has a chance to play right away. if the coach said "well, you're probably not going to see the field for 2 years," I don't know how many kids would commit based on that.

My big question about Williamson is raw speed. he's got the other skills, but I just wonder if he's got the top gear you need to be a solid D1 RB. It's hard to judge when you're watching him play against a lot of MN HS kids who are overmatched just on sheer athleticism.
Click to expand...

Williamson is great example of why the early enrolling trend is great for teams. He will have a chance to come in and take a shot at playing RB in the spring. If the staff ultimately decides that defense is the best spot for him at least they can do that knowing they gave him a shot to play RB without really hurting his development on the defensive side of the ball.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
If Williamson is getting reps this year, that means he is really good - or one of the other backs is injured.

Honestly, if Smith, Brooks, Mo and Williams are healthy, I just don't see many carries for Williamson.

And - being cynical - 99% of coaches when they're recruiting a kid, will say the kid has a chance to play right away. if the coach said "well, you're probably not going to see the field for 2 years," I don't know how many kids would commit based on that.

My big question about Williamson is raw speed. he's got the other skills, but I just wonder if he's got the top gear you need to be a solid D1 RB. It's hard to judge when you're watching him play against a lot of MN HS kids who are overmatched just on sheer athleticism.
Click to expand...

Well they're not all 100% yet so there is that.

I think also as far as reps goes like PJ said about Antoine Winfield Jr .... he doesn't "need" reps. So I'm not sure Smith, and Brooks are going to even get reps.

If anything we've got guys now who don't need to be in practicing every day. That's a nice thing, reminds me of the NFL preseason. If you see the regulars out, it just means they're the team is ok with them and they want to see about other guys. If you saw the first team out all the time... you might worry.

So I think we might see all sorts of guys, but it's hard to know what it might mean.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
If Williamson is getting reps this year, that means he is really good - or one of the other backs is injured.

Honestly, if Smith, Brooks, Mo and Williams are healthy, I just don't see many carries for Williamson.

And - being cynical - 99% of coaches when they're recruiting a kid, will say the kid has a chance to play right away. if the coach said "well, you're probably not going to see the field for 2 years," I don't know how many kids would commit based on that.

My big question about Williamson is raw speed. he's got the other skills, but I just wonder if he's got the top gear you need to be a solid D1 RB. It's hard to judge when you're watching him play against a lot of MN HS kids who are overmatched just on sheer athleticism.
Click to expand...
Cobb didn't have speed and he was a great college back.

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
 

march madness said:
Pretty crowded backfield unless they move a guy to split end?
Click to expand...

Crowded next year, but after the old guys move on it's just Ibrahim that seems to have a spot moving forward. Bryce Williams maybe, but I think he can be passed up. Take a redshirt season and put 2 years between him and last year's freshmen. Could rise to the top of the backfield by Soph or Jr year.
 

fmlizard said:
Crowded next year, but after the old guys move on it's just Ibrahim that seems to have a spot moving forward. Bryce Williams maybe, but I think he can be passed up. Take a redshirt season and put 2 years between him and last year's freshmen. Could rise to the top of the backfield by Soph or Jr year.
Click to expand...

Williams will probably be a 4 games played redshirt candidate if everyone stays healthy.
 

Word said:
Cobb didn't have speed and he was a great college back.

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Ibrahim isn't that fast either. He had a breakaway against Georgia Tech but was run down pretty easily.
 

march madness said:
Pretty crowded backfield unless they move a guy to split end?
Click to expand...

You can never have too many running backs. They will all get their shot. Where would Minnesota have been last year without Ibrahm and Williams?
 

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