Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Wherever he plays, Williams will fit in
American Heritage five-star recruit James Williams, who committed to the Miami Hurricanes last week, possesses one of the rare combinations of elite size and athleticism for a high school safety.
Being 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds entering his senior year, a common question surrounding him is if he will outgrow the position and have to move closer to the line of scrimmage or if his stature can be more beneficial remaining in the secondary.
Williams’ last two high school coaches, American Heritage’s Patrick Surtain and Western’s Adam Ratkevich, see him sticking at safety at UM because his size does not affect his mobility.
“He moves like a small guy,” said Surtain, the former All-Pro Miami Dolphins cornerback who is coaching Williams once again after coaching him as a sophomore. “You can use him in the deep middle. You can move him down in the box. You can blitz him off the edge. He can cover tight ends. He can cover slot guys. He’s a multifaceted athlete with a lot of different talents that you can use within your defense.”
Surtain said Williams re
turned to Heritage quicker than his sophomore season. He envisions using him primarily at safety but with the versatility of how Clemson used Isaiah Simmons, although he’s not quite as fast as the Arizona Cardinals’ first-round draft pick.
Ratkevich said he used Williams at free safety 90% of the time he had him as a junior at Western, but they also experimented with him at a “bandit” position similar to Miami’s striker role, which is a safetylinebacker hybrid.
Ratkevich lauds Williams’ football IQ and ball-hawking abilities, taking up a large chunk of the field with his wingspan in a zone scheme. He said he would start him off at safety with the Hurricanes but remain open to position changes.
“I would start him off at safety, and then if we felt it was best for him or the team, I would move him forward,” said Ratkevich of what he would do if managing the situation at the next level. “Obviously, that striker position could be a very natural fit, but I would probably start him off doing what he’s been doing.
“At the high school level, he’s elite there right now. If he can continue to be elite, there’s just nothing to compare him to. He’s a transcendent-type player. If they have to move him forward, he’s still going to be a freak and be dominant.”
South Florida recruiting guru Larry Blustein, who has covered and promoted high school football prospects for 50 years, agrees Williams should begin his college career at safety but ultimately sees him playing in the box down the road.
“There’s nobody that size in college or the NFL that played that safety position,” Blustein said. “It’s just uncommon.”
Williams is often compared to the late, great Sean Taylor because of that mix of size and ability, and Surtain even brought up the comparison. Blustein cautions, however, that Taylor was around 6-1 and 195 pounds going into his high school senior season at Miami Gulliver, a considerable difference from Williams’ current height and weight.
Blustein could even see Williams moving all the way to defensive end if he gets up to around the 260-pound range over the next several years.
“If you look at somebody like that and you project, I think he either puts his hand down or plays outside linebacker,” Blustein said.
The Hurricanes have had success with Gregory Rousseau as a defensive end after he played everything from safety to wide receiver and tight end at Hialeah Champagnat Catholic. Rousseau is now 6-7, 253 pounds. Neither Surtain nor Ratkevich have used Williams at defensive end or envision it in college.
For Williams’ part, he has indicated safety is his preferred position, but Ratkevich notes he enjoys playing anywhere, even at receiver last year for Western.
UM will certainly have options with Williams at the next level and can benefit from having the flexibility of lining him up wherever the team needs the most help in years to come.
“At the high school level, he’s elite there right now. If he can continue to be elite, there’s just nothing to compare him to. He’s a transcendent-type player.
— Western coach Adam Ratkevich