'08 VA RB Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech Verbal)

[osugrad21]

'08 VA RB Ryan Williams



Running back
Manassas (VA) Stonewall Jackson
Ht: 5-foot-10
Wt: 192 lbs
Forty: 4.5 secs
Bench max: 315 pounds
Squat max: 405 pounds
Vertical: 34 inches
GPA: 3.3
Class: 2008 (High School)

RP Discussion Links: VPI, BC

[OSUBucks22]

Rivals $ (Penn St. site)

7/10

Interview with Ryan's H.S. Coach Loren Johnson. Coach Johnson says that Ryan will visit Virginia Tech on 7/14, and then to Notre Dame the first week of August. Coach Johnson says he is not sure who is actually on Ryan's favorites list at this time.

[LordJeffBuck]

Rivals - 07/31/07

An article on several East Coast prospects.... According to Mike Farrell, VPI is the team to beat for Williams, with Pitt being the dark horse candidate.

[osugrad21]

GoUpState

Talented Virginia Back To Narrow List

By Matt Long
RB Ryan Williams (5-10 205) of Manassas, VA holds offers from nearly every school along the East Coast, several Midwestern schools, and even some from out West. "Please don't make me name them all," his head coach Loren Johnson said. Notable offers include Rutgers, Boston College, Clemson, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Virginia, UConn, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, NC State, and North Carolina. Johnson said that Williams has attended camps at Rutgers, Pitt, UConn, NC State, and UNC, and attended a camp with his teammates at James Madison. Clemson Offensive Coordinator Rob Spence has been by the school, and TE Coach Billy Napier had been keeping in touch with Williams. Johnson said that Wiliams, who models his game after Walter Payton, had 150 carries last year for 1,574 yards and 18 touchdowns, plus one passing touchdown. Williams will narrow his list down to 15 schools over the coming weekend and will announce his finalists on Monday. He hopes to narrow that list down to five by midseason. Johnson said that he doesn't expect his star running back to commit until signing day in February.

[LordJeffBuck]

VPI Rivals - 08/23/07

Ryan discusses recruiting and his upcoming senior season. No favorites mentioned, no timetable given.

[GoRU]

Manassas Journal Messenger | Williams gets caught up in the moment

Williams was invited to participate in two other postseason games, including the ESPNU High School All-American Game Jan. 5 in Orlando. But Virginia High School League rules prohibit seniors from competing in more than one all-star game. With that in mind, Williams felt most comfortable with the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

"This is the most popular game and I always feel like I've got something to prove," Williams said.

This season was not the way Williams had hoped to finish his celebrated high school career.

Williams missed three games with a high ankle sprain that nagged him starting in the preseason. He ended up rushing for 640 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games.

With his high school football career done, Williams is focusing more on his college plans. Rated among the nation's top 100 seniors, Williams received more than 30 Division I offers.

He has already visited Notre Dame in September, but on Thursday Williams said his top three choices are, in no particular order, Virginia Tech, Boston College and Rutgers.

He has not scheduled visits yet with any of those three schools, but he plans to. And he said he will not make a decision until he has taken all three visits.

Williams said he chose those three programs because of the chance to come in and play as a freshman.

While he sets his dates for his visits, Williams will continue to let his ankle heal and get ready for the game in San Antonio, which will pit 42 players from the West against 42 from the East.

"It's such a blessing," Williams said. "I've worked so hard to get where I am at. I still can't believe it. There are only 84 picked. It's a dream."

[wadc45]

Posted by JCB-RU...

Rivals $

From HokieHaven . . . an interview with Ryan's head coach. Says Ryan has scheduled an official visit to Virginia Tech in early December and will likely schedule more, but he's not sure to where. He mentions Rutgers and Boston College as other likely visits. Thinks Ryan will announce at the Army All-American Game after he takes all his officials.

[GoRU]

Would have had this earlier, but the link was busted, it is now working again.

Manassas Journal Messenger | Williams narrows his choices

When it came time to start thinking about colleges he wanted to officially visit, Ryan Williams zeroed in on five: Florida, Notre Dame, Boston College, Virginia Tech and Rutgers.

But as the recruiting process wore on during the fall and other factors came into play, Williams' plans changed.

The Stonewall Jackson High School running back did visit Notre Dame in September, but the recruiting trip didn't click for him and so the Fighting Irish were eliminated.

He never visited Florida, thinking they would have enough players back with eligibility, including Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, to still step in and ignite the running attack.

Nor did he visit Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were in Williams' final three, but coaching stability was the issue there and whether head coach Greg Schiano might leave for another job down the road.

That left Virginia Tech and Boston College.

Virginia Tech is a school Williams has followed for much longer, even visiting the Blacksburg campus over the years to watch games. In September of 2006, the Hokies became the second school to offer Williams. And Williams' head coach at Stonewall, Loren Johnson, played for the Hokies.

Boston College, meanwhile, didn't enter the picture until the spring of Williams' junior year. The school is farther away from Williams' home in Manassas than Virginia Tech is and it's a place Williams visited for the first time last weekend.

From that, it might be easy to assume there is now a clear front-runner for Williams' services.

But don't be fooled. Both schools have impressed Williams. And his decision, which he plans on announcing Jan. 5 during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, won't be an easy one.

"Virginia Tech has always been a favorite," Williams said. "I would watch them play Miami growing up. And going down there, they made me feel comfortable. Boston College made everything hard because I didn't expect [the recruiting trip] to go as well as it did."

Coaching stability and the opportunity to step in and play immediately as a true freshman are two of the reasons why Williams has made it clear he will either be a Hokie or an Eagle come National Signing Day Feb. 6.

Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer and Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski have visited Williams' home this month.

As of right now, the Hokies have received a commitment from one running back, Tony Gregory from Virginia Beach. Virginia Tech's top running back, Branden Ore, has one more year of eligibility left.

Boston College, meanwhile, may lean even more on using a true freshman. Williams said the team doesn't have a veteran coming back. The Eagles have received commitments from two running backs, Josh Haden from Friendly High School (Md.) and Isaac Johnson, who is rated the top player in Massachusetts.

Other things about the two schools stood out as well.

Boston College is only two hours away from Newburgh, New York, where Williams was born and where most of his family still lives. Bad weather, which forced Williams to cut short his visit last weekend to Boston College by having to leave Saturday rather than Sunday, doesn't bother him either.

And he liked the way the Eagles recruited him, especially his dealings with recruiting coordinator Mike Siravo.

"He was real laid back and made me feel comfortable with Boston College," Williams said. "He told me things straight up and wasn't giving all the hype."

Williams took his official visit to Virginia Tech the second weekend of December. His host was Hokie freshman quarterback Tyrod Taylor; a person Williams has established a good rapport with over the years.

The two first met at the Group AAA outdoor track meet in Newport News Williams' freshman year.

Before Taylor committed to Virginia Tech, Williams had gotten Taylor's phone number and the two stayed in touch.

The combination of Taylor and his Tech teammates helped Williams feel right at home during his recruiting trip.

Williams, who leaves Dec. 30th for San Antonio, said he chose to announce his decision Jan. 5th because the game has been a platform for this type of thing before. Between nine and 12 players usually declare their intentions, which are broadcasted live throughout the game.

Some schools are still expressing an interest. One, Arizona State, called Johnson last week. But for the most part, the college recruiters have gotten the message: Williams is set on his final two schools.

A top 100 national recruit who received over 30 Division I scholarship offers, Williams has kept to himself about his college plans, talking usually just to those closest to him, particularly his mother Sharon and Johnson.

Johnson has taken on the role of spokesperson in talking to recruiters and even recruiting web sites about Williams' intentions. It's a role Johnson doesn't mind and it's one Williams appreciates Johnson doing.

Johnson also refrains from pushing his alma mater. If Williams has a question or needs advice, Johnson is there to provide an answer. Other than that, Johnson knows Williams well enough to know he has everything under control. Williams has done his homework so that when he makes his decision it will be an informed one.

"That's why I leave him alone," Johnson said.

[wadc45]

Free Rivals

12/30

Will announce between VT and BC in San Antonio.

[wadc45]

Committed to Virginia Tech at the Army AA game...

[GoRU]

Manassas Journal Messenger | Ryan Williams chooses Virginia Tech

Profile from local paper.