Miami football James Williams commitment adds to great safety depth

The commitment from five-star athlete James Williams to the Miami football program is the latest addition to the Hurricanes roster from an elite high school safety.

The Miami football program has added another elite high school safety to their roster with the addition of five-stat athlete James Williams on Tuesday night. Williams is the ninth-ranked player in the Class of 2021, the top-ranked athlete and number one player in Florida. The talent on the Miami defense in the future is bright.

Miami signed two four-star safeties in the Class of 2020 and received a commitment from four-star safety Kamren Kinchens earlier this summer. Williams will be moved around frequently in college depending on the strength of opposing offenses. At 6’4, 218 pounds Williams has a frame more suited to linebacker.

The potential is that Williams could play striker in the Miami defense with the position evolving to suit his strengths. Miami has moved defensive backs to the hybrid LB-defensive back position since establishing the position during spring practice in 2018. Junior Gilbert Frierson is projected as the starter at striker in 2020.

Miami signed the second-best safety in 2020 according to the 247Sports composite rankings, Avantae Williams. Williams was the 45th ranked player and seventh-ranked player in Florida in the most recent signing class. Four-star Jalen Harrell, the 22nd ranked safety in 2020 also signed with the Hurricanes this past year.

Miami will lose Amari Carter after the 2020 season. Juniors Gurvan Hall and Bubba Bolden have the option of entering the 2021 NFL Draft. The future at safety for the Miami football program is in the Classes of 2020 and 2021. Behind Bolden and Hall, the Hurricanes’ future at the position is very bright.

Safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Ephraim Banda has enough talent defensively in the safeties room to be able to game plan with multiple different skill sets. James Williams will likely be used throughout the Hurricanes defense. Some experts project Williams to eventually move to defensive end.

Other projections compare Williams to former Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons who was utilized in multiple different spots on the Tigers defense. Beating out Georgia for the commitment of Williams similar to receiving a National Letter of Intent from Avantae Williams over Florida is huge for the Miami football staff.

Manny Diaz, Banda and the rest of the Hurricanes football staff deserve a lot of credit for fostering relationships and creating a culture that is drawing in the top players in the last two recruiting cycles. The addition of James Williams to the 2021 Class should help the Hurricanes add more top recruits in the 2021 Class.