The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/402034
PREP PROFILES Antonio Williams burst onto the scene as a freshman phenom for the New London (N.C.) North Stanly Comets, piling up 1,500 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. All he did for an encore in his sophomore campaign was total 2,170 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. Through just seven games in his junior season, he was still on a tear with 1,992 yards and 26 scores while leading his team to a 6-1 re- cord. Putting up video game numbers isn't all that uncommon for future Division I players, but Williams looks like he'll translate well to the next level. He has the build, drive, strength and athleticism to be suc- cessful in multiple schemes. "Williams is a big-bodied back who will surely be a bruiser at the next level," Rivals.com Southeast recruiting analyst Woody Wom- mack said. "He continues to show his ability to move well in space. He's still working on improving his speed and shows a good burst while getting down the field." Since Williams's recruitment has been a busy one for more than two years already. He committed to North Carolina in August 2013, but then decommitted last July after more offers started coming in. Since then, Williams has reeled in offers from Michigan, Auburn and Notre Dame, among many others. He cur- rently has a top four of Auburn, Duke, Notre Dame and Wisconsin. Williams has been recruited since his stellar freshman season, so he knows the ins and outs of the pro- cess and has a firm grasp on what he's looking for in a school. "Education is definitely impor- tant," Williams said. "I know foot- ball doesn't last forever. "I don't care about proximity to home," he added. "I want a great program that produces athletes and football players." Williams plans to attend the Texas A&M at Auburn game Nov. 8, and would like to see games at Wiscon- sin and Duke in the future. A visit to Michigan once looked like a very real possibility, but with the season winding down to just two remain- ing home games, it looks like that will not happen this fall. — Brandon Brown 2016 North Carolina Running Back Is Special ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ North Stanly High School New London, N.C. Class: 2016 Position: Running Back Ht.: 5-11 • Wt.: 210 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 4 player in North Carolina, No. 9 running back na- tionally and No. 157 overall player in the country Antonio Williams