Marshawn Williams enrolled in January with the intention of getting early playing time this year, and it looks like he's making the most of his reps.
#Hokies Shane Beamer on RB Marshawn Williams: "Hes already getting the reputation out there of a guy, you dont want to be in his path— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) April 1, 2014
Even Wyatt Teller is impressed with his hard hitting teammate:
#Hokies W. Teller's 1st impression of Marshawn Williams: I'm like, who the hell is this kid. Am I blocking for him or is he blocking for me?— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) April 1, 2014
#Hokies OL Wyatt Teller on RB Marshawn Williams: Hes run over people day in and day out. Its hard to think hes only three months in.— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) April 2, 2014
Virginia Tech lacked short yardage power out of the running back rotation last year, so it's nice to see a newcomer bring that skill set to the table. While J.C. Coleman will probably see snaps this year regardless of who the starting running back is (because of his versatility as a scat back), this spring is basically an open audition to find another "every down" back.
Coleman will try to lock up that spot after getting even stronger in the weight room this offseason. Jerome Wright, Chris Mangus, Joel Caleb (who returned earlier than expected from his injury it appears), and Williams will be fighting to make a name for themselves this spring. Being the guy who spells Edmunds is important because it will give them valuable reps during practice as well as during a game... not to mention the possibility of becoming the starter if Edmunds is unable to return as swiftly as is being predicted.
Making waves during spring, while Edmunds is still recovering from a brutal injury, when there's plenty of reps to go around, allows these guys to solidify themselves as contenders come summer time when the final decision will be made.
Comments
Did someone say power back? Me likey.
Visions of sugarplums like these are dancing in my head
I hate Florida State... but I love Greg Jones
I was at that FSU UNC game...THAT WAS A HUGE HIT!!!
That UNC highlight is an all-timer.
CAN THIS BE THE OFFICIAL "MY FAVORITE POWER BACK" THREAD?
Let's run the ball at will. This I hope to see one day again.
Favorite power back threads?? Okay
RIGGINS + ALSTOTT = SAM ROGERS
There's only one power-back that goes by the name of Riggins worth mentioning.
Why does Tom Brady need tacos?
I'll take "Phrases I never thought I'd hear" for 1000 please, Alex.
He did a solid job (as did his costars) in Lone Survivor
I don't know, I think the Pro Football Hall of Fame makes you worth mentioning...
Now that we've got Matt Saracen on the team, someone needs to work on Tim Riggins.
I'll never forget that long TD run Riggins made against Miami in the Super Bowl.
Does Greg Boone Count?
I just hope someone outright wins this job because he's too damn good. I can't stand that the past 2 years have happened because everyone was just average. Someone please step up a running back and take playing time.
Or this- with a more VT flair.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCyLmWyrbYI
My cousin played against Marshawn in HS the past couple of years. I watched his highlight film (Marshawn's) and my cousin was the only one who even tried to tackle him solo. Everyone else on the schedule looked scared.
We haven't had that in the Burg in a while.
Was there ever a doubt...
This is the first thing that came to mind after the first sentences of this thread. Even the announcers become impartial after he trucks him. I was near the top of the stadium and you could hear two sounds during that play the "Clack" of the pads, then the "oooooooooohhhhhhhh" from the crowd as clear as a bell.
This of course was before concussions entered the national discussion. I doubt that an announcer would lose his s**t when discussing someone getting flattened today.
Unless that announcer works for CBS and the player's name is Zumwault.
you mean Cumwault??
Slumwault
Kind of random, but Lane Kiffin's scouting report for UCLA was recently featured in a Smart Football article.
His notes for Zumwalt:
I know Kiffin isn't the most popular guy, but that's a pretty apt analysis.
I know everybody loves this highlight, but I think it's waaaay overrated. It's a great collision, but the guy still made the tackle.
Yeah, but it was like the first time that game (for the entire MD defense). 253 yards. What a performance.
That was also my first Thursday night in Lane. Darren Evans made a lasting impression on me.
I'd say it's more like that guy got steamrolled, and Darren Evans tripped on him trying to keep going.
sorry buddy but...tu es loco?? My son D.Evans was a grown man on this play. It will live on forever...
t *eres* loco
Yup, it's about time I changed my shorts now.
For you young guys who missed out, here is the original #Diesel in Blacksburg...
We often forget about Ox.....was a very good back.
Here's a video of Marshawn after practice today, as shared by VTscoop247
yes.
i couldn't be more excited to see this kid in action on worsham field. look out acc.
Havent seen this type of hype for a rb out of camp since RMFW. I think Jean Claude can express how this makes me feel
Call me cautiously optimistic. I seem to remember high praise, from coaches and players, for Michael Holmes a few springs ago. I would love to see Marshawn trucking defenders all season though. Trey and him could be nasty together.
Kudos to vtandy for weaving Jean Claude into the thread!
Who's Michael Holmes?
But yeah you can't read too much into stuff like this. However the physicality part is what excites me. We NEED that back in our offense/run game desperately and I hope he can bring it.
To be fair, I never read comments from the players about Holmes like Teller made yesterday about Marshawn.
The comments about Holmes were predominantly made by his friends on the team. The comments about RMFW, on the other hand, were made by just about everyone associated who watched us practice. I'm cautiously optimistic as well, but a guy coming in and making immediate positive impressions is certainly cause for some excitement.
Some serious early-90's-spandex cameltoe coming in late
I say that if someone really shines in Edmunds' absence, and given that Trey has experience on defense, and also given that we're kinda hurtin on defense for next year, why not try moving him to linebacker like had been mentioned before? His experience as a running back has probably helped him to shoot gaps better, and he's a power guy anyways. Someone educate a brotha.
Let's see what our LBs end up looking like before we start moving parts around.
1) He wouldn't be ready to contribute this fall at LB, *and we need help this fall, not neccesarily next fall. he's already redshirted. So that's a waste of a *season.
2) He's a proven player at RB, and totally unproven at LB. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
edited*
Trey is only a r-Sophomore.
oops, good catch
This will never happen. For one, Trey doesn't really have experience on defense. He's been only a running back at the collegiate level as far as I remember.
Two, it would be a mismanagement of resources on Beamer's part to allow it. Trey has already shown (particularly at the end of last season) that he is a good running back in the zone scheme Loeffler prefers. The sky is the limit for his potential, as his athleticism is 1st round material. Bud Foster's linebacking scheme is no joke, and I have serious reservations if Edmunds would be capable of learning the position in time to make contributions this year... meaning he'd be wasting his sophomore season.
Truth be told, even if Marshawn Williams blows up over the spring/summer (and I think he will) Edmunds will probably be the starter if he returns healthy. Edmunds knows more of the playbook and the pass protection schemes. Edmunds is also a bigger home run threat. On a team that desperately needs explosive plays you can't take the most explosive runner you have and sit him for a year to learn linebacker. Depth matters in the ACC. If Edmunds was moved to linebacker and Williams became the starter, then Williams got hurt... truth be told the Hokies would probably have to move Edmunds back to running back in order to have an every down back.
Edmunds + Williams could be an ACC championship backfield. Yes, the Hokies have question marks at linebacker but it's not as though Edmunds is a sure thing at linebacker (though he is at running back). Let's not try to solve one depth chart issue by creating another one somewhere else.
Wait wait wait. So just because someone looks like they'd be a great linebacker (tight end) doesn't mean that they'd actually be a great linebacker (tight end)???
I don't follow this logic.
but what if that person made a great play that would be unusual for their current position, but great for a different position???? Shouldn't we change them?
#punterswag to linebacker!!!!! /sarcastica
No one is saying Trey couldn't have been a great linebacker, but it would take at least a year of learning how to be a linebacker before he could contribute - basically wasting this season buried on the LB depth chart.
Read French's article on Ronny Vandyke. He came in an LB, redshirted, played special teams/backup and finally started putting it together at the end of his first year on the field. You would expect the same amount of development to happen for Trey before he could really contribute.
Why do that when you have a proven starter at RB now?
should have added /sarcastica for my subtle reference to people thinking LT3 would have just automatically been a better TE than QB. Sure, Trey looks the part of a great LB but he plays RB and is pretty damn good at it.
y'know, I thought it was sarcasm until the last statement. For some reason, that made it seem real...
Lol my bad
Thanks for the insight, makes sense. That would be a nasty backfield... if Williams turns out to be the brutal back that everyone says he'll be, and the o-line continues to improve, the run game could actually turn out to be a strong plus for a team that has lacked a run game since David Wilson graduated.
Let's just moved him to tight end and be done with it.
He's not a QB. It will never work.
Plus, he'll only bet bigger, faster, and stronger. Scary for the other teams. Can't wait to see him play.
HBM - Hokies Beast Mode.
I hope we run less shotgun, read option stuff and more I formation, power run game. To better utilize his skill set.
I'm not going to make any overwhelming predictions based on 1 practice.
That said, I just wish he can stay healthy, cause from his high school tapes, he could be special.
If he can block in the passing game, he might be pushing Trey for starting.
Hopefully he will run the ball this season like my man Christian "The Nigerian Nightmare" Okoye
I laughed way harder at this than I should have.
Also....you can't mention Christian Okoye without mentioning Steve Atwater.
That was the best 400-yard 75-yard run I've ever seen.
Also, it shows how ridiculous Tecmo sports games were.
I was waiting for someone to mention Okoye in this power back thread
Okoye was the only other RB to lead the league in rushing in the 90's, shows how dominant Smith and Sanders were.
Clearly....Barry Word would have been a better option to hand the ball off too...
Great clock management!! Guaranteed win.
*I think we should make Durkin a Linebacker!!!!!!!!*
*sarcastica*
I see him as more of a tight end....amateur
As a Packer fan, it's always fun to watch Eddie Lacy run someone over.
It's funnest when that someone is Xavier Rhodes.
GO PACK GO!
I love finding fellow packers fans. Have a leg each you two
Hopefully Marshawn will play like this Marshawn:
Darren Sharper couldn't tackle him; he was too busy scanning the crowd deciding who to rape
Darren Sharper hold mah diiiiiiick
Downvotes for Sharper jokes? It's not like I said "He might be innocent, let the legal process play out".
So much determination doh!
I swear, sometimes it looks like he slows down just to make someone look like a fool.
V that is who he models his game after and his film shows it
Andy Bitter mentioned in his article that Marshawn was up to 230 pounds right now. He wants to play at 225lbs.
I think he is only 5'11"....the guy is a load!!
I am very excited about this.
He will probably end up closer to 240 if he stays all 4 yrs.
I agree with an above statement that a RB needs to seize the job. Hopefully, amidst all the numbers, one or two guys will emerge dramatically better than the pack. We have a stable of backs; my concern, which is a good one to have, is how do you make room for all the talent? Who will get filtered out by being buried in the depth chart? Where does Caleb, Mangus, or Wright come into play? I too see a one-two punch with Edmunds and Williams, while finding certain packages for Coleman. But I still think Edmunds would have been better served at LB, in all seriousness. I think the kid has skill , but not elite. It'd be great to have had him on D providing depth, athleticism, and stability. His high character is a huge plus, and his team-first mentality is a welcome addition to any roster. In hindsight, I think this would have been the better move. But here we are, a lot like Obamacare, too far in to make a switch.
We are going to really need Trey's abilty to pick up the blitz this year (again, but even more so). Not sure if the other guys can do it as good yet.
So nice of the Techsideline forums to have this same discussion on their site.
And by that, I mean someone over there directly ripped the OP in a copy/paste so they could see the whole thing without contributing to any traffic over here...
TSL Football Forum
Brutal stuff.
They quoted the writer and included a link to the OP on The Key Play.
Yeah, but its TSL, which is teh suck
BURN THE WITCH
BURN TO ASH AND BONE
A link to the original content is pretty useless when you've copied and pasted the entire thing, thereby eliminating the need to make use of the link. While I enjoy seeing the publicity that the TKP writers are getting, the attention rightly belongs to them via this site. Given that we have a policy against copying and pasting articles and our members don't do it (or Joe otherwise cleans that up), it would be nice if that was reciprocated, IMHO.
Yep
Oh, great, they provided a link. Who over there actually followed the link when they saw the entire blog post was copy and pasted over there, including all the twitter links that 3rdand31 took the time to look up? It just drove traffic for TSL and did absolutely nothing for TKP. And don't think that their admin are going to do anything to curtail such actions. They actually encourage it, after going back to the arcane formatting because it promoted more clicks per visit, which artificially drove up ad revenue.
They're making money off of a TKP post. That's very bad juju
Andy Bitter approves this message:
ChoppinWood = Kermit the Frog
Andy Bitter = Christian Bale
Christian Bale looks like Rider Strong in that shot.
Aaaand now I want to watch the entirety of B.M.W.
wow thats stooping to a whole new level. Copy and paste a TKP article/posting bahahaha
They say imitation is the most sincere form of unimaginative, lameass, Hooville-type garbage. Not sure who "they" are, but they may have a point.
I talked with a football player yesterday (a starter, who is dating a friend of mine), and he said Marshawn is on another level. Hard to tackle one-on-one, even in college. He said he reminds him of a mix between Darren Evans and Ryan Williams. We got a good one on our hands. He is a hard runner, and he runs in between the tackles.
He doesn't run between tackles, he runs through them.
In the words of Wyatt Teller, "Sometimes I don't know if I'm blocking for him or he's blocking for me."
that's a great quote..you should post it in the 'quotes' thread if it hasn't already been posted
Color me excited!
Zach and Jessie on speed? +1
Zachs a pimp
They were actually caffeine pills
There's no hope with dope.
Just for an idea of how marshawn wants to play this is his helmet and facemask
Damn, that's a DL facemask.
Edit: looks like he wore a similar facemask in high school
Which brings me back to this:
and then to this (credit to BWade):
Yea it is a dline facemask. And all in favor of him being Marshawn "the predator" Williams
His nickname is "Juice" and he even goes by Juice .. not being rude
No problem, juice works
Imagine if we went with a backfield of Durkin, Sam Rogers and Juice Williams...we would break the Richter scale....
And then add a healthy Shai in the mix. I know SM has yet to take a snap in college, but just from his HS film I would dread being a D and having them BOTH in the backfield at the same time. Marshawn on one play like a bull in a china shop and the next you have to contend with Shai. Goodness.
From what I've heard from people that live in Shai's area in Pennsylvania, he is one special runner. He was on track to potentially break Russhel Shells record if not for the ACL tear.
He had about half a season's worth of yards and TD's about 2 games into his senior season. Between him and Williams, this could be the RB class that puts VT back on top as RBU.