Williams twins emerge onto recruiting radar

Meet tight end A'Drell Williams and running back J'Rell Williams, class of 2016 twins who play for Gilbert (Ariz.) Mesquite.

Both turned heads last weekend in Las Vegas during the Rivals Camp Series Presented By Under Armour. Sure, the hair stood out, and they are identical. But it was their performance during camp that added intrigue.

"They stand out for sure with that awesome hair," Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell said. "But they are also athletic and have really good size. I'm not sure if it's too late for them (to catch on with a college program), but if they continue to do well in camps and have a good senior season I can see them getting D-1 offers."

The Williams brothers don't have any offers yet. But then again, they didn't play football until freshman year.

As Mesquite assistant coach Louis Ramirez tells it, the brothers are a classic case of two players working their way through the ranks. No playing time was ever promised and several kids were in front of them on the depth chart. But they had potential to excel in football, they were told, so if they stuck with the program, they'd see time on the field.

"They were a little raw coming in," Ramirez said. "But I could tell they were good athletes and they just needed to learn the fundamentals."

The twins' increased playing time over the years reflects their skill development. As freshmen, the two didn't see varsity action until the last game of the season. As sophomores, they didn't play until the playoffs. However, this past season - during their junior campaigns - each became a solid contributor to the Mesquite offense.

J'Rell rushed for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns, while A'Drell caught 3 touchdowns to go with 80 yards.

"They're going to be even bigger threats next year," Ramirez said.

Ramirez added that the Rivals Camp Series was an eye-opener for the two since it was the first time they faced the region's best competition all in one place.

"The Rivals Camp was the first time they faced competition like that," Ramirez said. "They weren't shell-shocked because I let them know there would be real competition and they didn't shy away from that. But it was the way they conducted themselves that was impressive."

With experience against legitimate D-I competition underneath the Williams' belt, Ramirez won't hesitate to drop their names to a particular school. Before joining the Mesquite staff, Ramirez was a graduate assistant on Arizona State's staff and still has ties to the Sun Devils.

"I think they can make it," Ramirez said, referring to the brothers playing at the next level. "And being twins, there's not too many who've done that. That would be a big deal."

Perhaps the most recent case of twins succeeding at the next level is the Pouncey twins - Mike and Maurkice - who not only enjoyed success at Florida, but were selected to the Pro Bowl this year. Jason McCourtey plays cornerback for the Tennessee Titans, and previously starred at Rutgers with his twin, Devin, who is now a defensive back for the New England Patriots.

How far the Williams brothers go remains to be seen, but if and when D-I offers come their way, the past indicates both will settle on the same school.

"A lot of colleges won't offer one without offering the other," Farrell said. "It's difficult to go after one and not the other, so they're typically a package deal."

A'drell drives Farrell's point home.

"We plan on doing everything together," he said. "High school football, college football, whatever."

Added J'Rell, "We can't really tell you what it's like to not have a twin. I don't know what it's like to not have one.

"We just attack everything together."

Click Here to view this Link.