Gilbert’s Prospect Spotlight: Jamaal Williams

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Wake up people; every BYU fan is ready to claim their former running back as a top five prospect at his position in the 2017 NFL Draft. The all-time leading rusher at BYU–Jamaal Williams– has recently been invited to the NFL Combine. Williams has been impressive throughout his collegiate career on the stat sheets and on film. He has draft analysts raving about him including former NFL Hall of Fame executive, Bill Polian, who compared an aspect of William’s game to the Steelers’ Le’Veon Bell. Williams is projected to go in the third round on day two of the draft.

Jamaal Williams

Class: Senior Position: Running Back

Overview

Jamaal Williams took a year off from football but came back in 2016 stronger than ever while also finishing with a bang. He was a huge chunk of the Cougars offense and the reason why they finished the season with a winning record of 9-4 and a victory in the Poinsettia Bowl. His last lick of college football came in the Senior Bowl where he made a great impression on NFL scouts and analysts during the week of practices against other top competition. He will get one more chance to impress and raise his draft stock at the NFL Combine which begins February 28th and lasts through March 6th.

Analysis

Williams has a knack for gaining yards after contact and is a methodical runner who will put wear-and-tear on a defense. He plays with a mix of power, agility and sound fundamentals. He trusts his vision, makes quick decisions and possesses a 0-to-60 cut-and-burst. He is a solid pass protector and a reliable runner in short yardage situations. Williams has the total package and his special skill set will allow him to have many productive years at the next level.

Stats

In his senior year, Williams put up career highs in carries (234), rushing yards (1,375) and touchdowns (12). He is the only Cougar to have multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons and he also holds the school’ s single-game record with 286 rushing yards which occurred against Toledo in 2016. Williams has rushed for 100+ yards in 14 games and 150+ yards in six games while at BYU.

2016: Career:

Attempts – 234 Attempts – 726

Yards – 1,375 Yards – 3,901

Touchdowns – 12 Touchdowns – 35