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ATHENS - Sophomore tight end Elyiss Williams has already won over Georgia football coach Kirby Smart.
Not because of his size. Even though he has plenty of it at 6-foot-7 255-pounds. It’s not because he’s a reliable pass-catcher.
It’s because he’s one of the toughest players on the team. He’s a big athlete who loves contact and is bound for a sensational sophomore season this fall.
Kirby Smart had a lot to say about his big tight end throughout the off-season and continued to praise him this week to reporters.
“When he first got here he's never been shy from contact,” Smart said this week. You never know sometimes where guys are from how much football they've played. He played basketball, and he's a tremendous athlete. But he was never afraid of the physicality from the time he got here. He’s gotten better at that, but it's more technique-based than it was toughness-based.
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So Williams has the physicality aspect down already. His length and natural strength has allowed him to see the field early due to his love for contact and willingness to take coaching. His technique has improved and he’s made it difficult for the staff to keep him off the field.
Of course Williams has also made a quick impact in the passing game. During Georgia’s dominant 63-3 win over Tennessee State, the former Camden County (GA) standout hauled in two passes for 36 yards and one touchdown. As a freshman last season he caught seven passes for 117 yards and one touchdown.
Here’s what Smart had to say about Williams this past spring...
“I think he understands each play. It's dynamic what's going on around him. We want him to use his size and quickness and become a little more twitchy to be a receiving tight end as well as a physical and dominating blocking tight end. He's a weapon on the perimeter because of his size, but he's also a weapon on the interior because of his ability to strike and roll his hips and be a really good athlete.”
Of course, Williams wasn’t the only tight end who impressed in week one. Third-year tight end Jaden Reddell had the biggest game of his career, catching two passes for 38 yards and one touchdown. He also had an impressive 58-yard touchdown called back that had Georgia fans on their feet.
Freshman tight end Kaiden Prothro had a memorable debut as he caught one pass that resulted in a 16-yard touchdown. Look for several tight ends to be involved once again this upcoming weekend against Western Kentucky
