The Nebraska football safety is looking good.
Thursday night, we got a bit of an inside look at the Nebraska football secondary. In addition to giving rave reviews to Noa Pola-Gates, secondaries coach Travis Fisher also had praise for Deontai Williams.
As you may recall, Williams suffered a major injury last season in the opener against South Alabama. The injury caused him to be out for the rest of the season. As a result, we never really got to see what type of player Williams could be. The expectations were high for him last season. In 2018, he recorded 23 tackles and two interceptions. He was thought to be a vital part of the secondary.
He even showed some promise in the opener, recording two tackles . Nevertheless, his impact, or lack thereof, was felt throughout points in the season, as the secondary struggled at times. They could have really used his leadership.
Now, it appears that he is focused and ready to go. As Fisher said on Sports Nightly Thursday, Williams has put on a ton of muscle. This is encouraging to hear. As a safety, you need to have muscle. Safeties are known for making the hard hits and making athletic plays. They are the last line of defense. With a tandem of Pola-Gates and Williams, Nebraska football could be in much better shape at the position than they were last season.
Very good news from Nebraska DBs coach Travis Fisher on S Deontai WIlliams: "Moving like a rocket when he’s running around. He’s picked up weight, he’s strong, he looks like a pro. I’m very happy with Deontai. If the football season started today, he’ll be ready to go." #huskers
— Sam McKewon (@swmckewonOWH) July 16, 2020
I am really hoping for him to have a big year. Not only do I want him to have a big year to help the program, but I also want him to have a big year for himself. He definitely deserves a chance to make up for lost time, and I feel as though he will he will be a big part of the defense next year. When I look at the type of players Nebraska has at the safety position, two words come to mind: Depth and talent.
Depth is perhaps the key word. After Williams went down, it was evident that Nebraska lost a huge piece of their defense. This year, perhaps it will not be so noticeable. Having a player like Williams at the safety position who is stronger and healthy just adds another element to the defense.
I’ll be interested to see how Williams does. After so much promise in 2018, he now has a chance to show he can pick up right where he left off. Granted, it is easier said than done. However, it sounds like Williams is raring and ready to go.