Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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2015 RECRUITING ISSUE liams said. "One morning I went to go see her in her room before school, but she was still asleep. I tapped her and I shook her, but nothing. Next thing you know, the ambulance was there." It was a life-altering event for every- one in the household, but it didn't af- fect anyone more than it did Williams. He calls his mother his best friend, and while she recovered from the mishap he used the football field as medita- tion. Williams totaled 2,138 rushing yards in his first three seasons of high school, before he caught the break that changed everything. At a Nike Football SPARQ Combine in Orlando, Fla., in February 2014, Wil- liams posted a 117.03 score in a test of overall athletic ability after running a DEXTER WILLIAMS RUNNING BACK 6-0 · 200 WEST ORANGE H.S. WINTER GARDEN, FLA. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 120 12 21 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 139 14 20 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 78 5 16 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 114 17 14 MEASURABLES • Posted a 131.37 SPARQ (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness), score — a measure of overall athletic ability — at the Orlando Nike Foot- ball Training Camp in March 2014, when he ran a 4.55 40-yard dash and notched a 44.5-inch verti- cal jump. His score was in the elite level (130-plus points) one month after a 117.03 figure. STATISTICS • Ran for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns on 124 carries (7.0 yards per attempt) during an injury- plagued senior campaign, which saw West Orange produce its best season in school history with an 11-1 record. • Accounted for 1,072 yards of offense at Orlando (Fla.) Olympia High his junior season before trans- ferring to West Orange. HONORS • Was an Orlando Sentinel All-Central Florida hon- orable mention pick. • Ranked by the Orlando Sentinel as the No. 8 prospect in the Sentinel Super 60 players in Cen- tral Florida. • Listed as the No. 139 player on PrepStar's Top 150 Dream Team. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Invited and participated in The Opening at Nike's Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., last summer. RECRUITMENT • Originally committed to Miami on April 12, 2014. He decommitted from the Hurricanes and reopened his recruitment on Jan. 2, 2015. • Was offered by Notre Dame on Feb. 24, 2014, but became a top priority in the final two months of the recruiting process for the coaching staff. • Developed a strong relationship with former Notre Dame recruiting coordinator Tony Alford. Met with him on the first day of the last contact period, Jan. 15, 2015, and was talked into taking an official visit to South Bend the next day. • Notre Dame beat out Miami, Michigan and Texas A&M, which all made late pushes, with the Hurricanes being the strongest contender. • First scholarship offer came from Miami on Feb. 10, 2014. NOTABLE • Born on Jan. 5, 1997. • Played behind Wake Forest running back John Armstrong his freshman and sophomore years at Olympia.