There’s more to Jameson Williams’ game than just speed.
That’s what the sophomore wideout has been trying to prove over the offseason anyway, but if you ask Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, he’s been doing a pretty good job of it.
“I think [he’s] trying to operate in a world of, ‘What if I wasn’t that fast?’ If you’re able to embody that approach, a really special player can come out of that,” Hartline said Tuesday.
Just how fast is Williams, you ask?
The former No. 87 overall prospect in the class of 2019 and No. 12-rated wide receiver clocked in at 4.48-second 40-yard dash in the summer of 2018 in the Nike Football The Opening Finals. Williams was also a state champion track star in multiple events at Cardinal Ritter High School in St. Louis, Missouri.
But we’re not just assuming those metrics translate on the field at Ohio State, though. A season ago against Miami (Ohio), Williams caught a pass coming across the middle of the field from Ohio State quarterback Gunnar Hoak, stopped on a dime to head back toward the sideline, and blazed past the entire Redhawk secondary with a second gear that no defender came close to matching.
That 61-yard touchdown was a glimpse of Williams’ potential as a game-changing playmaker for the Buckeyes, but without three of Justin Fields’ top five targets returning in 2020, the man they call “Jamo” could see his touches increase exponentially.
It doesn’t hurt that Williams appears to be maturing in a multitude of ways entering year two.
“I feel like I’ve been more focused and feel like I got a whole lot better at everything, like in the classroom, on the field, so it works both ways,” Williams said.
It might be an area glanced over by those on the outside looking in, but Hartline echoed Williams’ sentiment that the work he’s put in off the field has matched his improvement on it.
“I would say that he’s a year older, he’s had the opportunity to build work, build a portfolio over time. He’ll even tell you he could do better than he currently is, and that mindset is really important,” Hartiline said. “He’s trained well, he’s had a great offseason, academics are coming up, all of that plays a part.”
Hartline said Williams has developed as a route runner, and Williams said he’s been looking at aspects of different NFL wideouts’ games that he can incorporate into his own repertoire.
“I’ve been trying to take some from here, some from there and put it all into my game, so I feel like it’ll all come together soon, and it should show during the season this year,” Williams said.
Despite coming out of high school listed at a wiry 168 pounds, the now 6-foot-2 Williams has put on 20 pounds, and Hartline said he “loves the contact piece.”
“He already has a physicality that a lot of receivers don’t have,” Hartline said.
If that’s the case, then Williams should be thrilled that Wednesday marks the arrival of the Big Ten’s new daily COVID-19 antigen tests, which means the Buckeyes will begin ramping up to full contact and pad work ahead of the season opener.
Sure, Williams will look to show off a more complete skillset come Ohio State’s Oct. 24 debut against Nebraska, but that break-neck speed of his might just come in handy a time or two as well.
