De’Antwan Williams Leaves Football Program

Hardworking Junior RB has left after depth chart change

Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano has made it clear that junior running back De’Antwan Williams is no longer the starting running back. The first clue perhaps took place when sophomore Jeremy Deering, a transitioned wide receiver, started last Saturday’s game against North Carolina, regardless of Williams’s offseason prowess and impressive statistical line in the opener. The second clue, and the subsequent reason, was Schiano’s depth chart shuffle.

Heralded freshman running back Savon Huggins, the so-called co-starter, was renamed as the official starter. Deering, the transitioned wide receiver who started the Carolina game, placed second on the depth chart. Redshirt freshman Jawan Jamison, who also had a stellar offseason despite a nagging hamstring injury, was listed as the third overall running back. And De’Antwan Williams dropped all the way down to fourth.

So, in essence, he told Schiano he was done. But how could you blame him?

Williams was always the third guy; whether it was behind Joe Martinek and Jordan Thomas a year ago and Joe Martinek and Kordell Young two years ago. This year was supposed to be no different. Schiano brought in Huggins and Deering moved to running back, once again paving Williams the way for third guy. But Deering suffered a practice-time-limiting concussion and Williams took advantage, eventually earning the spot at running back at the break of camp.

He rushed eleven times for forty-four yards as the starter, but his counterpart, Huggins, rushed for the two touchdowns. Neither was anything reminiscent of decent a week later, as they combined for fifteen yards on sixteen carries (Williams, 9-15; Huggins 7-0). As of the week of September 10, Rutgers ranked 112 th nationally in rushing (2.1 yards per carry), partially because of a struggling offensive line. Williams has admitted he doesn’t trust the offensive line and the depth chart change was the final straw.

‘We made some depth chart changes and one them were at the running back position,” said Schiano, who is looking to streamline the running game. “De’Antwan isn’t agreeing with it, and he decided to leave the team.”

Williams has rushed for just fifty-nine total yards this year on twenty split-time carries and, despite the flaws of the offensive line, has not cut it. In a furious decision, he decided to leave, though Schiano insists the door is always open for him to return, even though he is expected to transfer.

Schiano, in the bye-week press conference, in which he stated it was the best bye-week of his coaching career, he said that Deering was in a class of his own because of his versatility (At 6’2” and thin he is built like a wide receiver, not a running back.) and also said that Huggins will get the majority of the carries going forward.

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By: Justin Sontupe
BigEast-fans.com Rutgers Correspondent