With Pick 3 GB Selects Savion Williams, WR TCU

At Marshall (Texas) High School, Williams moved from receiver to quarterback for his senior season. He was a three-star recruit and the No. 98 receiver in his class, according to On3. At TCU, his production went from one catch in 2020 to six in 2021 to 29 in 2022, when the Horned Frogs advanced to the national championship game, to 41 in 2023.

“I just saw his ability with the ball in his hands,” Kelly said. “He’s 6-4, 200 pounds coming out of high school and he’s sticking his foot in the ground and spinning off of guys in the hole. Guys that size usually don’t have that ability to stop and start. They aren’t as well-versed as he is in that size package.
“When I got him to college, it was a learning curve at first, but he played as a freshman and got some valuable experience as a freshman. And his confidence just grew through the years. These last three years, it’s just been a steep, upward trend of him getting better and better every single year.”

As a fifth-year senior in 2024, Williams was voted a team captain by his teammates, with Williams’ personal growth “exciting to watch” for Kelly.

Midway through the season, the Horned Frogs were sputtering along with a 3-3 record when they made a bold change of direction on offense. Williams would become the centerpiece of the offense as a receiver and wildcat quarterback.
“You’re asking a kid who plays receiver, ‘Hey, you’re going to be a draft pick receiver but, oh, by the way, we want you to line up in the backfield and we’re going to direct snap it to you and we want you to run between the tackles at times.’ Most receivers will look at you and say, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’” Kelly said.

“This dude is the ultimate team guy. He just wants to win, and he knows deep down that he can do things that a lot of guys can’t do. For us, we got to the point midway through the season, we were struggling at the time to run the ball and we just needed to change things up. And we said, ‘You know what? How can we guarantee that our best player touches the ball? OK, well, this is how we can guarantee it. Direct snap it to him. It guarantees the ball is in his hands.’”
“You’re asking a kid who plays receiver, ‘Hey, you’re going to be a draft pick receiver but, oh, by the way, we want you to line up in the backfield and we’re going to direct snap it to you and we want you to run between the tackles at times.’ Most receivers will look at you and say, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’” Kelly said.

“This dude is the ultimate team guy. He just wants to win, and he knows deep down that he can do things that a lot of guys can’t do. For us, we got to the point midway through the season, we were struggling at the time to run the ball and we just needed to change things up. And we said, ‘You know what? How can we guarantee that our best player touches the ball? OK, well, this is how we can guarantee it. Direct snap it to him. It guarantees the ball is in his hands.’”
“You’re asking a kid who plays receiver, ‘Hey, you’re going to be a draft pick receiver but, oh, by the way, we want you to line up in the backfield and we’re going to direct snap it to you and we want you to run between the tackles at times.’ Most receivers will look at you and say, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’” Kelly said.

“This dude is the ultimate team guy. He just wants to win, and he knows deep down that he can do things that a lot of guys can’t do. For us, we got to the point midway through the season, we were struggling at the time to run the ball and we just needed to change things up. And we said, ‘You know what? How can we guarantee that our best player touches the ball? OK, well, this is how we can guarantee it. Direct snap it to him. It guarantees the ball is in his hands.’”

After carrying the ball three times in the first six games, he had 48 carries for 310 yards and six touchdowns down the stretch to help the team win five of its final six games of the regular season.

Expanding Williams’ role was great for the team, and it was a change he embraced, even though it didn’t necessarily help his draft stock to lose some game and practice reps at receiver.
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“This is what I told him,” Kelly said. “I said, ‘You put good stuff on tape as a wideout, so they’ve seen some of the crazy catches, they’ve seen your route-running ability, they’ve seen different things. In the NFL, they’re going to look at 15 guys that are 6-4, 215 pounds.’ I said, ‘What do you do to separate yourself from those other 15 guys?’ I was like, ‘When you show people that you have this type of ability with the ball in your hands, you add more value.’

“We all just preached that’s the value add of letting people see you do more things. He bought into it and it was good. There was never a, ‘Oh, I’m not going to do this.’ It was like, ‘OK, Coach, cool, show me how I’m going to get the ball.’ It was never, ‘Hey, I’m not going to do this,’ or, ‘This is going to mess up my draft stock.’ It was never that. The kid is a dude from a small town in East Texas. He’s a country boy who loves to ride horses and fish and play ball. That’s who he is.”
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Not saying that this is who he is or that this is his ceiling, but there are immediate, day 1 opportunities for him with the end around, jet sweep stuff in the run game.
 
rpiotr01 said:
Not saying that this is who he is or that this is his ceiling, but there are immediate, day 1 opportunities for him with the end around, jet sweep stuff in the run game.
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Which makes ML job easier, as a DC if he's a weapon, then I have to account for him...I already have to account for Kraft and a stud RB....If Golden becomes the deep threat then the GB offense will be a complete pain in the hind end to deal with.
 
So what does this do with Reed and him coming out of the backfield? Is Reed now only a slot only WR?
 
rpiotr01 said:
Not saying that this is who he is or that this is his ceiling, but there are immediate, day 1 opportunities for him with the end around, jet sweep stuff in the run game.
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but, as one person said earlier today - will ml give him those kinds of opportunities in year 1? i'd love to see him flourish in this offense. i'm with mark - so many different weapons the opposing defense can't stop them all. it should be exciting.
 
realitybytes said:
but, as one person said earlier today - will ml give him those kinds of opportunities in year 1? i'd love to see him flourish in this offense. i'm with mark - so many different weapons the opposing defense can't stop them all. it should be exciting.
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Yes, ML already spoke to that in his presser and the staff is excited to get him involved.
 
Though will we see a player traded by deadline? Saw last year a player cry about how he saw his lack of targets will any others players complain if ML decides that he is going to spread the ball out and that he's going to try to create a lot more different schemes this year. Maybe if Lloyd is healthy we see even he gets a chance to be involved in the game plan. Will players buy into this or will they cry because not enough touches means not big enough 2nd contract.
 
realitybytes said:
but, as one person said earlier today - will ml give him those kinds of opportunities in year 1? i'd love to see him flourish in this offense. i'm with mark - so many different weapons the opposing defense can't stop them all. it should be exciting.
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I don't know how much ML will trust him in the passing game, but he was able to work Watson and Reed in early with the jet motion stuff. Watson has tremendous straight line speed, but Williams might be the rare rookie who can just out-athlete certain guys on defense and get yards. He has a thicker frame as well and seems like he can withstand the punishment. Won't be asked to pass pro or read the field like Jordy Nelson.
 
GBP4EVER said:
Though will we see a player traded by deadline? Saw last year a player cry about how he saw his lack of targets will any others players complain if ML decides that he is going to spread the ball out and that he's going to try to create a lot more different schemes this year. Maybe if Lloyd is healthy we see even he gets a chance to be involved in the game plan. Will players buy into this or will they cry because not enough touches means not big enough 2nd contract.
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They can afford to play it out a bit because Watson is hurt. Big picture Doubs has no future with the team. If Watson stays another year that's kind of up to him and what he'll be willing to take on e one year deal. Wicks needs to prove he can catch the ball otherwise he's another release next year.

For me I would want ML to find a way to get Kraft more touches and targets per game, lean on Reed more at WR as Golden comes along. Those guys have a future in GB. Doubs quit on his team last year as his QB was playing through a torn MCL. Team is supposed to bend over backwards for that guy?
 
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