Impact Report: Vols Land Do-It-All RB Justin Williams

The Tennessee volunteers have landed the commitment of 2022 E. Paulding running back Justin Williams. Williams, a bruising 6', 210-pound ball carrier, chose

The Tennessee volunteers have landed the commitment of 2022 E. Paulding running back Justin Williams. Williams, a bruising 6', 210-pound ball carrier, chose Tennessee over Auburn moments ago. We take a look at what he brings to Jerry Mack's running back room in this impact report.

Background

Williams was a bit of a late bloomer to the recruiting process, picking up offers from Tennessee, Auburn, Michigan, and Georgia Tech late in the cycle after being committed to West Virginia for several months. Williams picked these offers up after going for over 2200 all-purpose yards during his impeccable senior campaign. If you're not familiar with his recruitment, it ultimately came down to Tennessee and Auburn, both of who hosted him multiple times over the last month and a half and have battled to the finish line. Williams honed in on these two schools and chose not to take visits to Alabama and Michigan, as both playoff teams made pushes for him late. Williams is a standout on the field and in the classroom as he boasts a 4.3 GPA and is third in the class at his high school.

Fit

What can't Williams do is a better question? He is an excellent pass catcher, blocker, and most importantly, elite at the second level. For a bigger back, he has that extra gear that is needed to be successful in the SEC. Oddly enough, while Auburn was recruiting him, many compared him to Tank Bigsby, who the Tiger staff hoped to eventually develop him into. Coming into Jerry Mack's running back room, Williams will have the opportunity to compete right away for playing time as Bigsby did at Auburn. While Jabari small still slots in as the starter in 2022, Williams will not make it easy on him or any of the other members of this room in terms of playing time. A true student of the game on and off the field, Williams possesses high upside at the SEC level due to his ability to impact the game in multiple ways.

Impact Rating

It's early in the signing period, but the Vols may not have a bigger addition, Williams today. A vital piece to their class in a top end of running back prospect, who looks to be a can't miss on paper, Williams changes the dynamic of Tennessee's running back room. Beating out Auburn for his commitment late, as this recruitment was a lot closer than many believed coming into the final hours, is another testament to how well Jerry Mack handled this recruitment from start to finish. Williams is a homerun hitter who possesses everything that you would want in someone you're bringing into your program. There are not enough good things to say about him, and he is going to receive one of the highest-rated impact grades in this class.

9.8 of 10