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Nick Saban explains what he saw in Quinnen Williams on the recruiting trail
By Keith Farner
Published:
During Thursday’s radio show with Alabama coach Nick Saban, CBS broadcaster Brad Nessler relayed a description of Quinnen Williams he’s heard recently.
“He’s like trying to block a 300-pound bar of soap,” Nessler said.
Williams was a topic of the weekly show because of his stellar play at LSU where he had a career night with a career-high 10 tackles, including a career-best 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Saban recalled recruiting Williams, who at the time was perceived by some to be undersized, which may be why he wasn’t more sought after by other programs. The redshirt sophomore is from Birmingham.
“We saw the athleticism, but he was a little undersized,” Saban said. “He was probably 260 pounds in high school. He’s not a real big guy to start with, but we felt like with the new age of football, he would be the right kind of guy that would be a more athletic, who could pass rush. We thought he would be a defensive end, he’s actually playing really well for us inside now because he’s gotten to be about 285. He’s a lot stronger. He’s still very athletic, he’s got good initial quickness, and he’s got more power than most people give him credit for.”
Saban called Williams the most consistent performer on the defensive line this season.
Asked by Nessler, the media guest at the show, for a comparison, and Saban said, “He’s a lot different than the other guys. The other guys that have played that position have been big power guys and don’t have a lot of range. This guy has got a lot of range and he’s really slippery.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.