Deonte Williams emerging as a key to Baylor's pass rush in 2018?
At the time of his commitment, Deonte Williams of Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano was as big of a pledge at the linebacker position that the Bears had received in quite some time. With opportunities to head to Norman to play for the Oklahoma Sooners or stay relatively close to home and sign with TCU, Williams chose to head to Waco as part of what would be the infamous 2016 recruiting class.
One of the few who stuck around, Williams was able to redshirt in the fall of 2016 and prepared as a linebacker in Phil Bennett's defense. He then started in four games as a redshirt freshman, including once at the weakside defensive end position, also known as the RUSH position, in the 2017 season under new defensive coordinator Phil Snow.
With the move to end now looking more permanent entering his sophomore season, Williams (6-1, 223) looks to be of same physical mold as Haason Reddick, a former Temple Owl and current Arizona Cardinal, who played under Snow for four seasons. Reddick currently measures at 6-1, 235.
Williams won't have the 4.52 40-yard dash in his arsenal that Reddick does, but the similar build and a similar type of athletic ability is a good combination for the RUSH position that is asked to wear multiple hats in Snow's schemes, including rushing the passer and dropping into coverage.
Defensive line coack Frank Okam arrived just prior to the start of Baylor's spring practices earlier this year. After becoming familiar with ther personnel he has on campus, Okam is now seeing an emergence from Williams as a pass rusher.
"As far as defensive end, the kid I’m excited to see who has taken that next step is Deonte Williams," Okam said. "He’s really done a great job as far a turning the corner and being a more productive pass rusher. (He is) getting comfortable in that position because he played some linebacker last season."
Playing with senior Xavier Jones and true sophomore BJ Thompson at the position, the chances are that the best pass rusher will eventually rise to the top of the depth chart. Okam noted that Jones has also taken a step as a pass rusher, while Texas A&M transfer James Lockhart made a comparison between Thompson and former Aggie Myles Garrett because of his quickness off the edge and athletic ability.
If Snow finds a pass rusher or two from the group to go along with Ira Lewis and James Lynch on the interior, the defense might have received an answer to a lingering and significant question regarding the 2018 team.
"To me it always starts with get off," Okam said. "If we can get our guys off on a man key or a ball key, and just be twitched up, and then having a plan is the next step.
"If you can get off and put pressure on the offensive line and actually have a plan and try to execute it, and then having a counter ready when it’s needed, that’s the kind of guy that has the right mindset as far as attacking the quarterback and getting a good pass rush."