Syracuse Football: JUCO LB Lakiem Williams Verbals Orange

SYRACUSE, NY - SEPTEMBER 19: Parris Bennett
SYRACUSE, NY - SEPTEMBER 19: Parris Bennett

The Syracuse football team continues to get additional help on their defense. ITLH breaks down the latest JUCO addition and what it means.

The Syracuse football squad got its’ second verbal commitment on Sunday. This time it came from a California JUCO linebacker by the name of Lakiem Williams.

Williams is originally from Spanaway, Washington, but he attends Butte College at the JUCO level in Northern California. This is the same high school that produced the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Larry Allen.

Williams is rated 3-stars by 247sports.com, the 31st prospect at the JUCO level in the class of 2018 and the 3rd best outside linebacker at the JUCO level. Williams is also a big boy. He checks in at 6-foot 2 inches but weighs 240-pounds. If he is going down hill to clog a running lane, he is going to deliver a crushing blow. The Pacific Northwest native also had offers from the likes of Cal, Houston, and Kansas. Williams was in town this past weekend on an official visit.

With the commitment of Williams and fellow 2018 linebacker, Tre Allison, Syracuse has added some serious depth at the linebacking core. But they have also moved into the top 40 recruiting classes in the country. With a week and a half before the early signing period, Syracuse currently has the 38th best recruiting class in the country according to 247sports.

Lets check out the tape:

The first play that really stands out to me here occurs at the :44 second mark on the tape. Williams is lined up as a punt protector. The Butte coaches call his number on a fake punt, and he rises to the challenge.

Williams takes the snap and shows off his speed and explosiveness. He hits the corner with some serious speed for a guy who weighs 240, and then he finishes off the run by nearly decapitating the tackler. He absolutely gave the boom right there and shows off his versatility. If nothing else, Williams will be a special teams player alone based on his size and speed.

https://twitter.com/Lakiem_Williams/status/939965534858293252

It appears that Williams, although a quick explosive linebacker, still has the strength to lineup in the middle and assist in run support.

At the 2:04 mark, he shows off this ability. He is lined up in the middle linebacker position when he reads the run play perfectly. He looks over the lineman and locates the running back who is waiting for a hole to open up. The running back locates the hole, but it is far too late as Williams explodes through the gap and makes a nice hit to drop the ball carrier for a short carry. This is something that Zaire Franklin excelled at in his time at Syracuse. The Orange may look to Williams to fill the void of Franklin if he is up to the challenge of leading the defense.

At the 6:14 mark in the tape is where I think you will really see Williams find a role on the Syracuse defense. He has a great ability to locate the running back behind the wall of lineman, and he then clogs the hole and hits like a truck.

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When Williams squares up to the running back, he hits him and immediately stops his forward progress, he seems to love contact. His 240-pound frame is perfect for contact and that is the weight that a middle linebacker needs in the ACC. It might take a little transitioning to the next level, but I still think Williams will contribute next year among more inexperienced Syracuse linebackers.