Today’s Topic: What To Expect From Freshman Receiver Jameson Williams In 2019?
Perhaps lost in freshman wide receiver Garrett Wilson’s performance this winter and spring for the Buckeyes is the fact that he won’t be the only rookie receiver on the Ohio State football team this season.
While Wilson brought with him his 5-star accolades and a January enrollment date, fellow wide receiver Jameson Williams is still in high school in St. Louis and preparing for a June enrollment.
When talking about the newest Buckeyes on signing day, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day certainly wasn’t looking past Williams.
“We lose three really good wide outs and a lot of good leadership in that room,” he said. “They’re going to leave a legacy, though, of hard work and leadership that’s hard to replace. That being said, we think we’re replacing them with some really talented young guys. Jameson Williams is a deep threat who has legitimate track speed. He can really go. Comes from a great family, great program in St. Louis, so we’re excited about him.”
That legitimate track speed includes a personal-best 10.54 in the 100m. He also broke the Missouri state record in the 300m hurdles. The record had been held by former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott.
#GoBucks ? @TedGinnJr_19 pic.twitter.com/fkTxSLuUpG
— juiceman (@1of1juiceman) April 12, 2019
Both Wilson and Williams are expected to lineup at the Z receiver spot this season. That position also included Chris Olave and Austin Mack this spring.
Whether or not Mack remains there this season isn’t yet known, but if he does stay at Z, there will not be an easy road to playing time for Williams.
Williams was a Top 100 recruit nationally, but expecting too much from any freshman is a mistake that no coach wants to make.
“Jameson is a legit down-the-field threat who can play with anybody in the country,” Day said. “We think he’s going to be a really good player. Maybe take a year to develop. But who knows, he may come in and make an impact right away.”
Williams’ speed can be used in any offense, but he’s going to have to be able to run more than a deep route in order to play regularly. Receivers coach Brian Hartline is going to do everything he can to get Williams ready, and expect Williams to do the same when he arrives this summer.
In terms of expectations, because of the new redshirt rule, Williams will play at least some this season. But if he impresses in camp — or if Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave can show that they don’t need Austin Mack on their side — we could see him in more than the four games the NCAA allows.
With how young the position is, the coaches might want to put a year of separation between Williams and Wilson. But then we get back to Urban Meyer’s old dilemma of never getting a fifth year out of a player, so why bother redshirting them?
In other words, if you’re only going to get three years of them on the actual field, you may as well start getting that return immediately.
Williams will play in two of the first four games almost undoubtedly and have a chance to show how much he belongs on the field the rest of the season. It may not come immediately, however. Just as it didn’t for Chris Olave. Patience and practice paid off for Olave, and it should for Williams as well.
And when he does get on the field and get the ball in his hands, he is capable of doing things like this.
[Sees Jameson Williams averaged 30 yards a catch last year.]
Me: Probably just a bunch of bombs.
[Watches first five plays of junior highlights.] pic.twitter.com/TEhuWL39D5— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) June 14, 2018
Looks like he’s playing against the Jr. High team, true his long strides remind me of T. Ginn. OSU doesn’t rebuild, we just reload, especially at that position.
It seemed like everyone in the Country wanted in on the “franchise.” I think the Buckeyes held the advantage having helped make Zeke one of the best players in the game of football. His “if I’m even, I’m leaving” Ted Ginn Jr.speed makes him a serious problem for any defense in the Country. That’s especially true when on the field at the same time with guys like Chris Olave (with extreme jets of his own) + Jaylen Gill + Demario McCall + Garrett Wilson.
You can also slide Jameson into the return game and Matt Barnes has that explosive and dangerous weapon he wants. If he gains just a step of daylight, he’s G O N E.
That last clip of his is my favorite, talk about turning on the after burners. He’ll need to bulk up a little bit but he has a special skillset. On film he’s very similar to Ted Ginn in the way he takes long strides and out runs everybody on defense.