Auburn hoping D.J. Williams can add to RB depth against Texas A&M
Auburn has received great production from its freshmen early on in the 2019 season. But one expected contributor has been missing.
True freshman tailback D.J. Williams has yet to carry the ball this season for the Tigers as they enter SEC play this Saturday at Texas A&M. The former 3-star prospect out of Sebring, Fla., was back for two kickoffs in the season opener against Oregon and hasn't returned since.
After a standout spring that included a breakout showing in the A-Day game, Williams underwent an offseason shoulder procedure that forced him to bounce in and out of a non-contact jersey in fall camp.
Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn said Williams has recently been dealing with a hip issue, saying Tuesday the team is "hopeful he’ll be able to play this week."
But would Auburn toss a true freshman running back into the fire in an SEC opener on the road?
"We’ll see," Malzahn said. "He’s a confident guy. It’s a tough question to answer for our opponent, but I will tell you, he performed very well in the spring and he had a very good spring game, too. Probably the best way to answer it is: we do have confidence in him if we play him."
Auburn is fresh off a 467-yard rushing outing in a 55-16 win over Kent State — the most rushing yards by a team in an FBS vs. FBS matchup this season. Three Tiger ball-carriers eclipsed the century mark in a game for the first time since 1983, and lead back JaTarvious Whitlow is the 10th-leading rusher in the nation with 341 yards.
So why the need for a freshman to step in? Well, the Tigers are still searching for a clear No. 2 option behind the bellcow Whitlow. Against Kent State, sophomore Shaun Shivers went for over 100 and senior Kam Martin had a touchdown, but Auburn doesn't have a true all-purpose runner other than Whitlow.
"You’ll see multiple running backs on Saturday," Malzahn said. "The good thing is we have a lot of guys that are experienced. ... Harold Joiner got some carries late too. We’ve got some depth there and you’ll see multiple guys on the field on Saturday."
Williams, while unproven, figures to be a candidate to be an every down type of back at 5-foot-10 and 216 pounds with a good blend of burst and strength.
Regardless of who touts the rock for Auburn on Saturday, he'll be going up against a stout Texas A&M run defense that ranks third in the SEC in yards allowed per game (87.7).
"What stood out to me last year and this year is their run fits. Their linebackers know their gaps," Malzahn said."Their gap integrity on defense in run fits is very impressive. They do a good job of setting the edge. They do a good job on the back end. They mix up their coverages with their pressures and everything.
"Last year they did a very good job against us. I think we were fortunate to win that game the way we played offensively if it wasn’t for the last two series."
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