Alabama vs Clemson: 5 players to watch in National Championship Game
By John Buhler
Mike Williams
Wide Receiver, Clemson Tigers
There are a few potential NFL superstars playing in the national championship. The first one we’ll highlight is redshirt junior Mike Williams. He may not have garnered all the accolades of Oklahoma Sooners’ Dede Westbrook or Washington Huskies’ John Ross, but Williams is the best pro wide receiver prospect in this draft.
After missing almost all the 2015 NCAA season due to a broken neck, Williams has responded with an incredible season for the Clemson offense. In a school that sent DeAndre Hopkins to the Houston Texans, Sammy Watkins to the Buffalo Bills, and Martavis Bryant to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Williams has the potential to be the best wide receiver to play at Clemson under Dabo Swinney.
Williams’ NFL prototype would be that of an A.J. Green or a Julio Jones — a big, physical wide receiver that can go up and get it on jump balls outside the numbers. He can also possession receive in the middle of the field like a Mike Evans or how Jones does it for the Falcons.
It won’t be easy for Williams on Monday night, as he is the one player that the Alabama secondary will be keying in on. Look for Alabama’s shutdown corner redshirt sophomore Marlon Humphrey to track Williams the entire game.
This is a deep wide receiver class, and frankly a deep offensive weapons class. Williams projects as a wideout that will likely go in the teens. Should he torch the well-coached Alabama defensive backfield, Williams might go as high as the top 10 of the 2017 NFL Draft.