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| A.J. Williams |
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 265 lbs.
High school: Cincinnati (OH) Sycamore
Position: Tight end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #84
Last year: Williams was in high school. No stats are available.
Final TTB Rating: 69
Even though Michigan brought in two tight ends in the class of 2012, the coaches were looking for three. Williams was an in-line blocker and used as an H-back for his Sycamore team, but it was a team that rarely passed, especially to the tight end. So Brady Hoke also went after a more prototypical pass-catching tight end in the form of Devin Funchess. As far as I know, Williams never touched the ball. But he did have a ton of opportunities to refine his blocking skills for the run game, which should serve the 265-pounder well.
The graduation of starter Kevin Koger and key backup Steve Watson leaves a gaping hole at tight end, and it's unclear whether fifth year senior Brandon Moore will be up to the task of filling it. Al Borges likes to use multiple tight ends, although his willingness to run more of a spread offense for Denard Robinson means that the need at tight end might be alleviated a little bit this year. Williams is likely to play a fair amount because of his size, but a walk-on like Mike Kwiatkowski might be just as efficient.
Prediction: Backup tight end
Would anyone care to comment on the "WILLIAMS WILL MOVE TO TACKLE!!!" speculation?
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of someone his size playing TE, but he will, if my memory serves me correctly, quickly become the biggest such player in UMich history. Can't remember anyone bigger, anyway ...
I don't think Williams is moving to tackle. I'm guessing Williams has some bad weight on him, and he'll stay at about 260-265. Koger was 6'4" and 258 lbs., so adding two inches and only 5-10 lbs. isn't that big of a difference.
DeleteI can't imagine this kid staying at TE long term. It's possible of course. But the fact that he never ran routes or caught passes in HS makes it unlikely that he would be able to do it with any effectiveness at the major college level. So the coaches must be primarily interested in his blocking. They can certainly use him as a blocking TE this year. Maybe the coaches will take a "wait and see" approach to determine his final destination.
ReplyDeleteIf he plays as a TE this year, then I think he'll stay. If he redshirts, maybe that's a sign. But I've never seen a guy play TE at Michigan and then change positions later. (Adam Kraus and Mike Kolodziej came in as tight ends, I think, but they redshirted and then switched to OL.)
DeleteJust because his high school team didn't throw the ball doesn't mean the kid has bad hands and can't run routes. He might turn out to be a decent pass catching TE. He supposedly caught the ball well during a post-season event.
DeleteSmurf, I think you're off base on this one. It's pretty clear that Williams is being brought in to play TE. They were pushing to land 6 OL after his commitment. I'd be pretty surprised if the coaches are offering TEs without having a chance to evaluate their route running and catching ability.
DeleteAs far as learning to play receiver at the college level goes, Steve Breaston and Jeremy Gallon were HS QBs. So was Andy Mignery and he was able to switch to TE midway through his collegiate career. Desmond Howard was a RB. Why shouldn't playing a primarily blocking TE be the easiest position for Williams?
@Thunder Jon Jansen also played TE in HS, but all of those players were recruited for the OL.
Moore and Watson each caught one pass last year - Koger was a fairly talented receiver and he still wasn't targeted that often. Michigan TEs, combined, were targeted on less than 15% of passes last year.
ReplyDeleteSo, in this run-oriented offense, the position is primarily about blocking. To get playing time, guys like Williams and Kwiatkowski just have to show consistent ability to block and be just competent enough at pass-catching to serve as an occasional threat.
Lakwanda, well said
ReplyDelete