Mark Stooops has got it going on, that’s for sure. The news Thursday that Kentucky had secured a commitment from Georgia running back Stanley “Boom” Williams, rated as the nation’s No. 1 all-purpose back by Rivals, not only keeps Stoops’ momentum going, but takes it up a notch. UK’s 2014 recruiting is now ranked No. 3 nationally.
Williams is the first top 100 player that has committed to Kentucky for 2014. He is ranked as the nation’s 96th best prospect by Rivals and the ninth-best prospect in the state of Georgia. He had already committed to the Bulldogs only to rescind the commitment before announcing for the Cats.
He also appears to be a perfect fit for Neal Brown’s offense. The 5-foot-8, 186-pound Williams can catch the ball out of the backfield as well as run the ball. He could also line up in the slot as a receiver.
“I watched film of the offense, how they use their running backs, spreading their guys out over the whole field so that defenses can’t have many guys in the box, it allows me to operate in the middle behind my offensive linemen,” Williams told Steve Jones of the Courier-Journal.
Michael Carvell of the AJC writes about Williams:
The 5-foot-9, 192-pound Williams was offered by UGA after his freshman season of high school at Dawg Night summer prospect camp – and committed on the spot. Last season as a junior, Williams rushed for 1,958 yards and 24 touchdowns at George Walton.
Despite the early pledge, Williams continued to flirt with other colleges. This past April, Williams de-committed from UGA in what one Bulldogs source described as a “mutual decision.”
Georgia has commitments from running backs Sony Michel of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Nick Chubb of Cedartown, Georgia. Michel is considered a five-star prospect who is ranked as the top overall prospect in the state of Florida. Chubb is a four-star prospect, ranked as the nation’s 70th best prospect overall by Rivals. He is rated as the 6th best prospect in the state of Georgia.
Kentucky has one other running back commitment for 2014. That’s Mikel Horton out of West Chester, Ohio. Horton is ranked No. 12 at his position and No. 131 overall nationally.
Click here for chart of UK’s football commitments for 2014.
