Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com AUGUST 2018 41 BY DAVID MCKINNEY Notre Dame picked up a much- needed commitment June 21, when St. Louis St. John Vianney running back Kyren Williams went public with his pledge to the Irish. Prior to Williams' announcement, Notre Dame lacked a single skill player in the class of 2019 and had lost traction in running back recruit- ing with a few top targets commit- ting elsewhere. Williams, a four-star by ESPN and its No. 9 player in Missouri and No. 28 athlete nationally, had initially planned on taking an official visit to Michigan the weekend following his decision, but decided he didn't need to see Ann Arbor before shutting his process down. The St. Louis talent chose Notre Dame over offers from Michigan, Stanford, Wisconsin, Missouri, Ne- braska, Northwestern and others. His June 15-17 official visit to South Bend sealed the deal for Williams. "I'd noticed before that I was com- fortable with everything on the cam- pus, and when I went for my offi- cial visit it was all so certain to me that this is where I belong," Williams said. "This is where I feel the most comfortable, and that's why I made the decision." The main recruiter at Notre Dame for Williams was running backs coach Autry Denson. Not coinciden- tally, the Irish recruited him to play in the backfield. Williams said Den- son's efforts were a huge part of his decision to commit to the Irish. "That played a big role," he noted. "I know Coach Denson always has my back as a coach and a person, and he's like a mentor to me. "He would text me motivational quotes, and that's what got me go- ing every day before workouts. I feel like our relationship got stronger and stronger." Williams said committing to Den- son was a moment he won't soon forget. "When I told him, we were at the bookstore," Williams said. "He was happy, and we went back to [head] Coach [Brian] Kelly and told him. They said to get ready to work now." Although Kelly wasn't Williams' main recruiter, the standout running back said he got to spend a good amount of time with the head coach during his official visit and was able to see a version of the Irish leader a lot of people don't get to see. "On my official, we got to go to his lake house, and I saw a whole differ- ent side of Coach Kelly," Williams said. "It wasn't football related. He was just laid back and talking to ev- erybody, and I really liked that a lot." As a junior, the 5-9, 191-pound Wil- liams played all over the field for St. John Vianney, seeing time at running back, wide receiver and defensive back, and racking up more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage with 36 touch- downs, four interceptions and four sacks. St. John Vianney head coach Paul Day said Williams has been standing out since his first day of high school football. "He's a pretty dynamic kid," Day stated. "He's been starting for us since his freshman year and has been making huge plays for us since then. He's an exceptional player." William isn't the biggest kid on the team, but Day said he constantly out- plays his size. "His strength in the weight room is really astounding, and on the field it's even more impressive," Day said. "When you watch his clips, he runs the ball like a 220-pound kid, but he's got the elusiveness of a guy that's 160. He's a rare combination." Off the field, Day said Williams shows as much passion for life as he does for football. "He's a great kid," Day said. "He's always got a smile and he's a very positive kid. We do our strength training at 6 a.m., and he's in there every morning with a big smile on his face. "He goes to work every day, and he's a leader." ✦ FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Kyren Williams is a smart, tough and tal- ented football player with a good feel for find- ing cracks in the defense … Runs with good pad level and impressive power for a player with his size … Shows a natural feel for playing running back — makes correct reads, has good anticipation and can burst through openings … Advanced pass catcher for a running back … Is a quality route runner, with a feel for working against the zone and outstanding ball skills … His pass game skills make him a legit dual- threat running back. Areas For Improvement Lacks the size desired for an every down running back, although he has a thicker lower half than most players with his height and skill set … Footwork as a running back is sloppy, so that must be cleaned up … Can get impatient at times. — Bryan Driskell COMMITMENT PROFILE KYREN WILLIAMS Fighting Irish Land St. Louis Playmaker Williams — the No. 11 prospect in Missouri and No. 34 athlete nationally according to Rivals — chose Notre Dame over offers from Michigan, Missouri, Stanford and several others. PHOTO BY COREY BODDEN