Prospect Bio

Before Kyren Williams was breaking ankles at Notre Dame, he was dominating the high school scene at St. John Vianney High School in St. Louis, Missouri. There, he amassed 2,035 rushing yards, 725 receiving yards and 40 total touchdowns as a senior while playing both running back and wide receiver. As a four-star recruit, Williams caught the attention of several Power-Five schools, including Iowa, Iowa State, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Missouri. He opted for Notre Dame where he had little impact as a freshman (four carries for 26 yards) and kept his redshirt eligibility. The 2020 season was a much different story. Williams took 211 carries for 1,125 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was a weapon in the passing game as well, with 35 receptions and 313 yards as a receiver. It was enough to earn second-team all-ACC honors. Because he was considered a redshirt-freshman, Williams was also able to earn Freshman All-American and ACC Rookie of the Year. It was more of the same in 2021 when Williams rushed for 995 yards and 14 touchdowns on 204 carries while adding 42 receptions for 359 yards, and another three scores. He opted out of the Fiesta Bowl in order to begin NFL Draft preparation.

College Stats

Kyren Williams College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference.com

Positives

+Nearly 1,500 yards in second season

+Patience

+Excellent acceleration

+Good receiver; 77 receptions over the 2020-2021 seasons; 

+13.3% College Target Share (PlayerProfiler)

+Powerful runner for his size 

+Explosive; Great short-area burst

+Excellent stop-and-start ability

+Pass protection

+Vision 

+Lined up in the slot on several occasions 

+14.5% reception share in 2021

+32% touchdown share in 2021

Negatives

-Undersized 

-Sometimes indecisive and hesitant at the line of scrimmage

-Fumbled

-Slow

Highlight Reel

Comparable Player: Gio Bernard

NFL Draft Projection: Fourth Round

Bottom Line:

Kyren Williams was on the radar as a potential first-rounder in rookie drafts. However, a shockingly-poor performance at the NFL Combine revealed his true self. Still, Williams was an excellent receiver at Notre Dame. He had combined for 77 receptions over the 2020 and 2021 seasons, working both out of the backfield and from the slot. Williams proved capable as a runner as well with 2,120 rushing yards over the last two seasons. He may be on the smaller side, but he has the willingness and skill to run between the tackles. He is excellent in pass protection which will help him get on the field. 

Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, PFN, PFF, TDN

Yards Per-Formance Prospect Grade