UW’s Williams is ready to lead
MADISON – Despite enrolling a semester early and playing in all 13 of Wisconsin's games as a freshman last season, nose tackle Bryson Williams was more comfortable deferring to his elders than speaking his mind.
No more.
With five seniors gone from UW's 2018 defensive unit, including nose tackle Olive Sagapolu, Williams is determined to share his brand of leadership more frequently.
The transition started last spring. “Bryson is a natural born leader,” redshirt junior defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk said. “He is extremely vocal, especially now that Olive has left. Bryson has stepped up a lot.
“Even though he was thrown in there last year as a true freshman, he is still to me one of the leaders of the D-line. He does have those reps.”
Williams was an all-state lineman at Southeast High School in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was also a two-time captain, the first junior in program history to be named captain. He felt comfortable sharing his thoughts in the locker room and on the field.
Williams never found that comfort level as a freshman at UW because of the presence of then-seniors T.J. Edwards, Ryan Connelly, Andrew Van Ginkel, D'Cota Dixon and Sagapolu.
“As much as I wanted to do last year, with all the seniors that we had, it was for them to do that,” Williams acknowledged. “Now that I have some experience, I can point things out. I have no problem telling another D-lineman: ‘If
you saw this, you can do that.’
“It’s not always corrections. It can be recommendations that could work better for them. That is how you make a team better.”
What does defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield think about Williams’ decision to be more chatty in 2019?
“The thing I like about him is that he is a worker,” Breckterfield said. “Everybody knows that. He is a grinder. He has got a big personality, too. So just as long as his play can back up his words, I’m good with that.
“I told him: ‘You’re coming in here as a starter. Act like one. Do what you do and lead through your actions. And if you’ve got to say something, say it. But if you’re going to say something, make sure you can back it up.’ ”
Williams, who became the No. 1 nose tackle last season after Sagapolu suffered a season-ending arm injury at Northwestern, acknowledges the line must be better this season. “We will be better,” he said.
The return of end Garrett Rand (Achilles), a healthy Loudermilk and a more verbose Williams would help.
“He is ready,” senior linebacker Chris Orr said of Williams. “I see it every day in his workouts.
“And the nose guard is obviously the most important position in our defense. First of all, your front seven establishes the attitude of the defense. They can do so much. They can help you in the pass game. They can alleviate some pains if you’re having trouble covering.
“In the run game they can clog up holes. If we don’t have a good nose guard there is no 100-tackle season for an inside linebacker.
“I think he understands how important it is. I think he is excited. I am excited for him.”
Williams believes he was OK against the run last season but must improve in that area as well as helping collapse the pocket to help pressure quarterbacks
“I need to improve in everything,” he said.
Head coach Paul Chryst expects to see a more productive player in 2019.
“He got a ton of good experience and I love the way he has approached the offseason,” Chryst said. “He is a guy who has an opportunity to make great strides. I think there is improvement from Year 1 to Year 2. I think there can be a significant jump.”