Noles, Wolverines head RBs top four

Plaquemine (La) all-purpose back Ja’Kouri Williams is following the lead of some of his role models when fashioning a list of favorite schools.

“Right now Florida State, Michigan, Tennessee and Nebraska are my top four, in that order,” he said. “Florida State is on top because they have had a lot of success with backs similar to me, guys like Travis Minor and Warrick Dunn, who are smaller but fit into their offense real nice, and now they’re playing in the NFL. That’s something they feel like I’ve got a chance to do, too, if I go there.”

Williams (5-11, 179, 4.4) is one of Louisiana’s fastest players, having run several sub-4.4 times and a blazing 10.4 in the 100 meters. As a junior, he rushed for 1,464 yards and 28 touchdowns, averaging a whopping 11.6 yards per carry.

All four of the main schools on his list have one thing in common -- a strong tradition of running the football.

“That’s what I like about all four,” he said. “They put the ball in the running backs’ hands and let them make things happen. They expect the backs to carry the team.”

He added these comments about each of his other three favorites:

“Michigan is a school with great tradition. They’re on national TV almost every week, and they’ve had a lot of great players in the NFL. Plus, they were the first to offer me, so that’s been in their favor. They’ve recruited me really hard.

“Tennessee is another school with great tradition and exposure. It’s not too far from home, and I’ve got some family up there. I like the fact that they’re in the SEC. It’s a great conference with real high competition. They’re usually in the Top 10 with a chance to play for a championship.

“Nebraska is one of the best schools you could find for a running back. They have a great offense with good linemen, and they use the option. I like that because that’s what I’ve run in high school. I feel like I’d fit into their offense.”

Williams also has offers from Auburn, Ole Miss, Southern Miss, Oklahoma State, Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette. Those schools appear to be on the outside looking in at this point, but he noted that he’s not closed his list of favorites. He cited Miami and Florida in particular as schools who could break into his leaders if they offered.

This summer has found him bypassing the camp circuit in order to concentrate on individual workouts. He’s increased his strength levels from 250 to 305 in the bench since last season and added a few pounds to his squat, raising it to 425.

Academically, he’s got a 2.2 core GPA and an 18 on his ACT. He said he needs one more tenth on his GPA or a higher ACT score to gain eligibility. “I feel like that will be pretty easy,” Williams said. “I’m going to be OK. I’m taking it real serious.”