DT Rankings: Tyleik Williams

October 12, 2021October 12, 2021 CFB Saturdays Staff

With the season underway players have had the opportunity to raise their stock and move up the rankings. Before we jump into Tyleik Williams, here’s a few reminders about the rankings themselves:

The rankings will be updated throughout the season.
Players who have not played college football are not eligible for the rankings.
Players are graded on their college ability, not their pro potential.
We are judging players on their film, production and physical tools.

You can view the College Football DT Rankings here.

Ohio State defensive tackle, Tyleik Williams has seen his playing time and impact grow each week. Williams has provided a spark on the defensive line, impacting the game against the run and as a pass rusher. Through five games Williams has been credited with 12 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 1 pass breakup, 1 fumble forced and 1 QB hurry. Williams is not even halfway through his true freshman season, but it’s apparent that the future is bright for the young defensive tackle.

Williams checks in at 6’3″ 315 lbs, providing a massive presence on the interior of the defense. He is a space-eater on the interior who is difficult to move off his spot and clogs running and passing lanes effectively. Williams is a powerful player that can drive blockers into the backfield and create big plays for his teammates with his push. He is strong enough to fight through blocks and still make the tackle. Williams engulfs running lanes and shuts down plays that originally look like they may succeed.

While his size is impressive, it’s Williams quickness that stands out even more. He gets off the ball with a good first step and is able to get into the gaps quickly. Williams has impressive burst and closing speed. It’s a scary sight for opponents when a player that size is closing in as quickly as Williams does. He also has some lateral quickness, changing directions and reacting to plays well when he may be too far up-field or the play may be bounced to a different gap. Williams may look like a space-eater, but he has the athletic ability to get in the backfield and be a pass rusher as well.

Tyleik Williams has proven he deserves an increased workload going forward and is quickly becoming a star for Ohio State. He shows a feel for the game and the ability to use his hands to beat blockers. His emergence has been a key part of the defensive turnaround for the team over the past few weeks. Still only five games into his career, Williams is just scratching the surface of his ability and will be a monster on the defensive interior for Ohio State.

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