Why did Alabama star WR Jameson Williams leave Ohio State?
Jameson Williams made a name for himself as a deep-threat speedster for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Williams led the SEC in 2021 with 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns, ranking fifth in the NCAA in yards and tied for second in scores.
He played a major role in helping Alabama and quarterback Bryce Young get to the College Football Playoff Championship game, although his playing time in the game was cut short. He suffered an ACL injury in the second quarter, effectively ending his college career.
While Williams has been a household name playing for Alabama, the projected first-round pick for the upcoming NFL Draft did not spend his entire career with the Crimson Tide. In fact, 2021 was his only season under coach Nick Saban. Jameson started playing college football for a rival of Saban's, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Jameson Williams’ speed is incredibly smooth on film. The way he accelerates when seeing open field looks effortless: https://t.co/cDmnCMuxkb
Williams was a four-star prospect out of St. Louis, Missouri, and committed to playing for the Buckeyes in 2018. He had six catches for 112 yards and a touchdown in his first season, appearing in a total of four games. In 2020, he started six games with nine catches, 154 yards and two touchdowns.
But why did Jameson leave the Buckeyes to play for a new program for a single season and jeopardize his NFL career?
Jameson Williams left Ohio State for Alabama and has turned in the ninth 1,000-yard season for a wide receiver in the Nick Saban era since 2010.
He has 1,028 yards with 10 touchdowns on 51 catches.
Williams is a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award. https://t.co/5Fyz8B4Rwq
In a recent interview with Senior Recruiting Analyst Andrew Bone, Williams explained the situation, Williams said that at the time, he felt that there was no certainty when it came to his role on the offense.
"To me, things were just unclear," Williams said. "I wasn't certain of my role in the offense. The receiver room got crowded. I just decided I needed a fresh start..."- said Williams
When asked why he chose Alabama over all the other schools. Williams said that he let other schools recruit him, however, he ultimately felt that Alabama was the right fit.
"I let other schools recruit me. I wanted to give them a chance, but Alabama was the best place for me at the end of the day."
What did former elite recruit and Ohio State WR Jameson Williams decide to transfer to Alabama?
He detailed his decision with @AndrewJBone:
alabama.rivals.com/news/jameson-w… https://t.co/6qsWJMAvHc
It turns out that it was truly the right place for him to land, as he rejuvenated his career in a single year with the Crimson Tide.
Would Jameson Williams still be a top NFL prospect if he had stayed with Ohio State instead of Alabama?
Jameson Williams stated that the wide receiver room was getting crowded at Ohio State and the targets he was looking for would not be there. Here's a look at the numbers from the Buckeyes' starting receivers on the roster this year:
- Sophomore Jaxon Smith-Njigba - 95 catches, 1,606 yards, 9 TD
- Junior Garrett Wilson - 70 catches, 1,058 yards, 12 TD
- Senior Chris Olave - 65 catches, 936 yards, 13 TD
Jameson Williams 4 catches 126 yards 1 Td. He never had that stat line @ Ohio state. Don’t fool yaself Bama develop WR’s better than anyone
Wilson and Olave will both probably be drafted in the first round this year and Smith-Njigba is set to be a top pick next year.
Jameson may have had a good 2021 season with Ohio State, but would have been drafted late on Day 2 at best. Here is who the competition was in terms of targets with the Crimson Tide this year:
- Junior John Metchie - 96 catches, 1,142 yards, 8 TD
- Junior Slade Bolden - 42 catches, 408 yards, 3 TD
- Junior tight end Cameron Latu - 26 catches, 410 yards, 8 TD
- Junior tight end Jahleel Billingsley - 17 catches, 256 yards, 3 TD
It was a clear choice for Williams on where the right place was to play while bettering his own draft value. All things considered, you can't fault him for the move at all.