Jayden Williams is ‘100 percent ready to roll’ for his second season as Ole Miss’ starting left tackle

For a week or so back in June, we here at the Ole Miss Spirit were reporting on a couple of players who had been injured in spring training and had told us they were still not 100%.

Since then, DE Cedric Johnson and RG Jeremy James have declared to us they are fully recovered from offseason surgery and are ready to go without restrictions next week when August camp begins.

It’s been good to hear the better side of recovery here lately.

Well, add another to the list of 100-percenters.

Left Tackle Jayden Williams made his declaration of full health the other day.

“I am 100% ready to roll. I can go through everything when August practice starts,” Jayden, who started every game at left tackle last season, stated.

The 6-5 305-pounder from Conway, Arkansas, is only a sophomore.

But Williams already has a year of extensive play under his belt from 2022 when he took over the left tackle slot after previous LT Nick Broeker asked to be moved inside to guard.

It wasn’t easy for the then redshirt sophomore, but he plowed through it anyway and came out on the other side in good shape mentally.

“Last year was a rollercoaster for sure,” Jayden continued. “I’d have good games and not so good games, but toward the end of the season I thought I picked it up and got better.”

For Williams, the physical part of playing LT and facing some of the best athletes in the SEC in rush ends wasn’t the hardest aspect of the game.

“The hardest part that I had to overcome was locking in every week,” he stated. “There was a different scheme to learn each week and you were facing different players every week and you had to study their tendencies and forget everything you had learned the week before.

“Yes, being locked in was the hardest adjustment for me, but I finally got used to it. Now, I think I can handle it a lot better having been through the grind once.”

Ole Miss offensive lineman Jayden Williams

This summer, besides getting healthy, Williams’ goals were fundamental.

“Man, conditioning and leg work this summer – that’s what I have been focusing on. We run a tempo offense and if you aren’t in good shape and your legs aren’t strong, you will have trouble,” he added. “Also, I’m trying to eat better as we go into the season.

“I’m at 310 pounds right now and I want to be 305 when the season starts.”

Williams’ goal for the season is basic as well.

“I just want to build off of last year and be more consistent and I want the team to win every game,” stated Williams.

Jayden is confident the offensive line is going to be good.

“We have four starters coming back and we have good depth,” said Williams. “We have a lot of guys who have played a lot of football on this level. That should translate into us being a good unit.”

Also, Jayden says he is thankful for the NIL contract he has through The Grove Collective.

“NIL and The Grove Collective is a blessing for all the players,” he closed. “For me, I became a father in April, a little girl we named Layla, and that could mean a lot of financial stress, but the NIL contract has relieved that. It means the world to me to be able to provide for my baby.”

It’s a good thing for the blind side protector of the Rebel quarterback to have peace of mind.

All Jayden Williams has to worry about is his LT job.

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