Every time Tennessee gets a commitment in either football or men’s basketball, we will write up an impact report looking at what that recruit does well, what he needs to improve in his game, and what his projected impact with the Vols could be over the next few years.
Latest Commit: Darion Williamson, ATH
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds
School: Haywood (Tennessee)
Home Town: Brownsville, TN
Rankings
247Sports Composite: No. 872 overall, No. 68 ATH
247Sports: No. 533 overall, No. 43 ATH
Rivals: 5.5 rating
Notable Offers: Memphis, Arkansas State
What we like:
Williamson has so much raw athleticism and potential that it’s a wonder he hasn’t already picked up more interest on the recruiting trail. Tennessee fell in love with his potential and skill set when they watched him at a practice at his high school, and their feelings were confirmed when he came and camped on UT’s campus. He has elite speed, and with his size and instincts, that’s a dangerous combo. He also can leap pretty well, and he’s very versatile. He played mostly on defense as a junior, but he showed promise as a wideout and was very impressive as one when he camped at Tennessee. He can play safety or wide receiver, and there’s even a thought he could put on more weight and keep that explosiveness and play a hybrid outside linebacker role. The options appear limitless for Williamson, and he has a very high ceiling.
Places to improve:
The biggest question facing Williamson right now is where he’s going to fit in to the roster. He’s simply too good of an athlete to pass up, and he has so many raw skills on both sides of the ball that he was definitely a take for UT’s coaches. But finding where he fits best may not be an easy task. Tennessee needs help at receiver moving forward, but they likely only have room to take four in their 2020 class. If they miss out on one or two of their other targets at that position, Williamson will probably play there. But he’s a good defender based on his film, so he may just end up at defensive back regardless.
Either way, Williamson will need to learn techniques and hone his ability at either position. He has very good instincts and awareness, but he needs to learn the finer details to really tap into his potential and realize his ceiling. UT’s staff is the right staff to do that, at least.
Analysis:
It’s hard to see Williamson getting a ton of playing time as a true freshman at Tennessee, but once he learns whatever position he ends up at and puts on some good weight, he should definitely challenge for a role. Whether that’s on offense or defense remains to be seen, but I believe he’ll end up seeing the field fairly early in his career once he gets some development.
