Jaylin Williams' Matured Offseason Has Him Primed for 2020 Season

Williams' coaches and teammates believe he's grown not just as a player but as a leader.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Jaylin Williams kept telling himself there was going to be a season.

With everything the Big Ten was going through the past few months, Williams kept looking at it glass half-full instead of glass half-empty.

He spent his time watching film. He worked out in the weight room with Aaron Wellman. He did all the little things as if there were going to be a season.

So when the Big Ten announced on Sept. 16 that football would be back, Williams was ready to go.

"You always gotta have hope," Williams said. "Just had to keep having hope that the season was gonna come back, and it did."

Williams is coming off a sophomore season in which he started in seven of the final eight games at cornerback, finishing the season with 19 tackles, 15 solo, with one interception and three pass breakups.

After the season, Williams sat down with cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby to talk about where he wanted to take his game.

When Indiana's spring practices got cut short and players had to go home for quarantine, Shelby said Williams came back as one of Indiana's best defensive backs because he was in the best shape.

"I've seen a change in him, just the way he's matured," Shelby said. "I'm really loving where his game is."

Williams and Tiawan Mullen, along with Reese Taylor, have the chance to be a top secondary in the Big Ten. The confidence among the three have been evident as this 2020 season approaches.

The focus for Williams right now is solely on the season.

He listed his daily routine as going to the stadium and back home. When players are done with practice, it's up to them to be responsible and accountable on their own time.

Williams has taken that to heart, not going anywhere unless he absolutely needs to. He knows his team is counting on him.

"I got all I need right now," Williams said. "Just focused on the season, so just the stadium and back, that's all I'm worried about."

As the on-field production is expected to increase, so is the off-field leadership.

Head coach Tom Allen said Williams is a player he wants to step up in the absence of Marcelino Ball, and Shelby said it's been evident the past few weeks that Williams is a better leader.

"Somebody's got to be the coach when I can't be there, and I'm starting to see that," Shelby said.

Some of the things Shelby has noticed is how Williams is getting the young guys involved. Shelby is famous for playing young talent, and in this season where a player could be unavailable with injury or COVID-19, there can be more opportunity for the roster.

Williams is making sure his teammates will all be ready, and he's also been texting them off the field, checking in to see if they are handling everything.

"He's been a guy the underclassmen can go to," Mullen said. "Jaylin is stepping up a lot."

Mullen was the star defensive player last season in his freshman campaign. He is expected to get better, but his running mate in the secondary is looking to grow just as much.

Shelby believes it will be a big year for Williams. 

"I'm excited for what's about to happen," Shelby said. "He has a chance to be a household name."

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