If you want to run a 4-2-5 defense you need a lot of safeties and you need a good variety of them, too. You need a Joseph Charleston-type, a guy who plays the proverbial center field and watches the quarterback’s eyes to assist in any deep throws or take down guys who’ve broken contain. You need a Daylan Carnell who’s job is to just hit dudes as hard as possible and be an extra blitzer when you need to crank the pressure to 11. And you need a Jaylon Carlies who can play the pass, crash down on the run, and be a little bit of everything.
You need blue chippers who can play immediately and you need guys who can develop. You need transfers who can make an instant impact in the new system and guys who grow through the system and develop into the kind of player you need.
Dyllon Williams, Missouri’s most recent safety commit, falls is to the category of “oh my god he hit that boy so hard he might be dead”.
Where He Fits: I’ve only been watching high school football tape for a few years now but, frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a highlight reel of a defensive back that features just massive, decleating hits, one after the other. Every hit is one that his target’s feet fly out from under them or the spin uncontrollably out of bounds. Even the highlights where he’s defending the pass are violent and end up with his opponent on the grass.
He’s featured playing some corner but mostly safety and his instincts on when to fill the passing lane or rifle through blockers seem fairly sound. He’s a little stiff in flipping his hips in coverage but, also, as a safety he won’t have to do that as much than if he were actually playing corner.
When He’ll Play: I don’t want to put too much expectation on a 3-star kid who hasn’t even gone through his senior year yet but…his skill set reminds me of Daylan Carnell and I can see him slotting there and doing well. SEC-level competence? Unclear. But he certainly has the play style, and as long as he’s not asked to play in coverage he could fit into the Marvin Burks/Phillip Roche role of “come in and run as fast as you can into the backfield and see what happens”.
What It All Means: He might not be as heralded as some of the other guys in this recruiting class but this is a pickup that seems 100% “you have the exact skill set we want, damn the star ratings”. Given that Carnell could very well be gone after this year, as well as the projected immediate backup, this is a good get to plug in and see what happens, knowing there is at least one other option on the roster to work with. I always say that 3-stars are just as important to team building as 4-stars, and even if the numbers aren’t there this is certainly a guy who hits like a blue-chipper, at the very least.