Avantae Williams Named to SI All-American Team

One of the most versatile football prospects in the class of 2020, undeclared senior Avantae Williams is now an SI All-American.

Author:
John Garcia, Jr.
Publish date:
Dec 17, 2019

A longtime commitment to Oregon, Avantae Williams is back on the market and plenty of programs will court the senior.

Named an SI All-American Tuesday for his ability to change the game defensively, he did it on all three phases at DeLand (Fla.) High School over the last few years. Despite missing some games in 2019, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Williams still helped the program to seven wins and a playoff berth.

Long a noted prospect on the recruiting scene, Williams was actually a commitment to the University of Miami early on. The Hurricanes, along with Georgia, Oregon and others, figure to be back in the mix for his signature come the traditional signing day on the first Wednesday in February.

Why Williams is an All-American:

Why not? Watch him play offense, defense or special teams and it won't take long to see why we had to get Williams on this list in some capacity. The scrappy prospect is already physically developed for his size and plays with a suddenness that translates to dynamic, big plays in all three phases.

Williams will project as a defensive back before all is said and done and even there, there is some room for him to play multiple positions. His physicality, short-area quickness and speed lean towards the nickel position while his ability to break on the ball and cover a lot of ground in short order projects better as a traditional safety. The senior also holds his own as a traditional corner with his athleticism and ball skills, so he's the type you add to your roster and worry about the true position at a later date.

2019 SI All-American Offensive Team:

QB Bryce Young, Alabama (Why Young? Highlights)

RB Demarckus Bowman, Clemson (Why Bowman? Highlights)

RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Georgia Tech (Why Gibbs? Highlights)

WR Julian Fleming, Ohio State (Why Fleming? Highlights)

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State (Why Smith-Njigba? Highlights)

WR Malachi Wideman, FSU (Why Wideman? Highlights)

TE Arik Gilbert, LSU (Why Gilbert? Highlights)

OL Paris Johnson, Ohio State (Why Johnson? Highlights)

OL Tate Ratledge, UGA (Why Ratledge? Highlights)

OL Javion Cohen, Alabama (Why Cohen? Highlights)

OL Issiah Walker, Florida (Why Walker? Highlights)