This offseason, Iowa State's running back depth took an unexpected hit, with DeVondrick Nealy and Martinez Syria both departing the team.
To compensate, the Cyclones made a late addition to their 2015 class over the weekend, picking up Butte (California) College running back Kendall Williams.
"They were looking for a running back and I was still looking for a school," Williams told the Ames Tribune. "So it just matched up perfectly."
The Cyclones, who also added their first two 2016 pledges this weekend, showed interest in Williams last year, but he ultimately committed to Arizona. Williams, however, never made it to Tucson; he broke his hip, missed all of last season and wound up back at Butte. When Syria's dismissal last week freed up a scholarship, the Cyclones flew Williams into Ames; by Saturday, he had accepted their scholarship offer.
"It was crazy how all those things worked out," he said.
It will be interesting to see if Williams can give the Iowa State backfield a boost this season. He rushed for 1,156 yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman two years ago, but will be shaking off rust coming off the hip injury. Still, running back is also the Cyclones' biggest offensive unknown. Williams will be competing for carries with Tyler Brown and Mike Warren; Brown has little experience and Warren has none. For that reason, Williams should have ample opportunity this fall to prove he's deserving of playing time. Either way, though, taking a flyer on Williams makes a lot of sense for the Cyclones, who appear to be in decent-to-good shape elsewhere offensively. At the absolute least, he makes Iowa State a little bit deeper at a position that never can have too much depth.
To compensate, the Cyclones made a late addition to their 2015 class over the weekend, picking up Butte (California) College running back Kendall Williams.
"They were looking for a running back and I was still looking for a school," Williams told the Ames Tribune. "So it just matched up perfectly."
The Cyclones, who also added their first two 2016 pledges this weekend, showed interest in Williams last year, but he ultimately committed to Arizona. Williams, however, never made it to Tucson; he broke his hip, missed all of last season and wound up back at Butte. When Syria's dismissal last week freed up a scholarship, the Cyclones flew Williams into Ames; by Saturday, he had accepted their scholarship offer.
"It was crazy how all those things worked out," he said.
It will be interesting to see if Williams can give the Iowa State backfield a boost this season. He rushed for 1,156 yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman two years ago, but will be shaking off rust coming off the hip injury. Still, running back is also the Cyclones' biggest offensive unknown. Williams will be competing for carries with Tyler Brown and Mike Warren; Brown has little experience and Warren has none. For that reason, Williams should have ample opportunity this fall to prove he's deserving of playing time. Either way, though, taking a flyer on Williams makes a lot of sense for the Cyclones, who appear to be in decent-to-good shape elsewhere offensively. At the absolute least, he makes Iowa State a little bit deeper at a position that never can have too much depth.
