Written by Liam Gaudet, Senior Editor - Twitter: @LiamGaudetIT
If I were to ask you what separates Notre Dame from the upper echelon of college football, what would you say? There are arguments to be made for a variety of assets in which the Irish could use to up their status and return to glory, but for me, it's quite simple. Notre Dame's offense has not been polarizing or dangerous when compared to the likes of Ohio State or Georgia, and has become somewhat predictable in recent years. Now, how much of that responsibility rests on coaching and development is up for debate, but one thing we know for sure is - Playmakers like Cam Williams make closing that gap much, much easier. Let's take a look at what Irish fans can expect to see when the highest rated recruit in the class suits up for the blue and gold after his senior season.
Photo by 247 Sports
Cam Williams is currently listed as a 5-star recruit, ranked 28th in the country and seventh at his position per the 247 Sports composite rankings. Williams attends Glenbard South Highschool in Illinois, which made it quite easy for Chansi Stuckey and co. to notice his talents early on and establish a great relationship. Williams holds offers from all over the country, but eventually committed to Notre Dame despite heavy interest from schools in the Midwest such as Michigan and Wisconsin. Coming in at 6-2' and 190 pounds, Williams fills out well for his size, and has been terrorizing defenses in the Midwest circuit for quite some time. So what makes Williams such as standout? Let's run the tape back and see.
The first thing that jumps off the tape about Williams is his willingness to engage physically while blocking. In many instances, you will see Williams bound off of the line of scrimmage toward corners to cover his assignment on running plays, often pushing past his assignment to reach the second level. Coming into Notre Dame which carries a legacy of offensive physicality, Williams's skillset in perimeter blocking will be a welcomed asset. Additionally, he is rarely pushed off the line while being pressed, and uses his size to his advantage.
Williams's tape almost looks effortless, which is a credit to his athleticism as he is rarely in a situation where a defender is in stride with him. Part of this stems from his incredible release off of the line, as he is able to reach top speed in the blink of an eye. Normally, some high school prospects at the receiver position cripple their release with slower footwork or false steps, but it's fairly obvious that Williams takes tremendous pride in his footwork which translates brilliantly into production on the field.
In addition to his quick release, Williams has shown incredible body control and is extremely polished for his age. Recently showcasing his catch radius and tracking at the Irish Invasion camp, any ball placed in his vicinity is caught more often than not. Williams shows elite poise and focus, fighting back towards the ball to make contested catches in traffic, and is deceptive on short to mid-range routes after the catch. He has been utilized in his high school career as a deep threat with the use of his release, but is also effective out of the flats and on short screens.
If I were to compare Cam Williams to a former Notre Dame receiver for the sake of clarity, I would probably lean toward someone like Michael Floyd. A very physical receiver whose focus and catch radius allowed for 50-50 balls to be turned in favor of the offense. Paired with an elite quarterback like C.J. Carr in the same recruiting class, and complimented by a duo of commits in Isiah Canion and Micah Gilbert, there's absolutely cause for excitement if you're a Notre Dame fan. We wish Cam the best of luck in his upcoming high school campaign, and are extremely excited for the future of this receiving room.
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