How will Gamecocks use Jamyest Williams?
Rivals.com ranks Jamyest Williams as the No. 12 athlete in the 2017 class.
The AJC's Jeff Sentell, who has been covering high school football for 15 years, says Williams is one of the 15 best pure football players he's ever laid eyes on.
ESPN.com lists Williams at the No. 39 prospect in his class and write Greg Ostendorf singles out Williams as the incoming SEC player he's most excited to watch this season.
By all indications, Williams is really good at football. But now that the Gamecocks withstood a push from Georgia to sign the Grayson High standout, just how will they use the versatile defensive back and offensive playmaker?
“Jamyest is a guy who is talented in a lot of ways," head coach Will Muschamp said on National Signing Day. "In my opinion, his greatest talent is his work ethic and competitive edge. Those are two things that really jump out at you when you see him compete and go after it. The guy has close to a 40-inch vertical leap. He has great ball skills and judgment down the field to make plays. We feel like he can contribute in a lot of ways for us."
One of those ways will be on special teams where Williams' big-play potential is likely to be used in the return game. Williams is a defensive back by trade, but he's simply too good with the ball in his hands not to make an effort to get him some touches each game.
South Carolina actually led the conference in kickoff return average as primarily Deebo Samuel and A.J. Turner combined for a league-best 25.78 yards per return. But the punt return unit's play was far less impressive as the Gamecocks muffed several punts and averaged just 6.36 yards per return, 12th in the conference.
"If we’re talking about the player I’m most excited about, it’s Jamyest Williams," ESPN.com's Ostendorf explained. "The 5-foot-9, 173-pound cornerback is the highest-ranked player South Carolina has signed in the ESPN 300 (No. 39) since Jadeveon Clowney in 2011. The Georgia native was a major coup for Will Muschamp and his staff, and the odds of him playing early are pretty high. On Wednesday, Muschamp told reporters that Williams is expected to come in and contribute at corner, nickel or as a potential returner. Basically, they just want to get him on the field early. So remember the name because you'll be hearing it a lot next fall."
South Carolina returns its top three cornerbacks from last season, but that doesn't mean there won't be room for Williams to also make an impact there as a freshman.
There's still very little proven depth behind those three and that competitive edge that Muschamp talks about will be a welcomed addition to the unit as Muschamp and defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson look to revamp the Gamecocks secondary.
"Another great get for us," Robinson said. "A guy who is dynamic with the ball in his hands. He will be our punt returner, kick returner. He will will play nickel, and outside at corner some. I'm very excited about what he brings to the program from a toughness standpoint. I'm excited about him being a part of the family."