Second year Penn State offensive lineman J’ven Williams is ready to run
Football is a learning process on so many different levels for a college athlete. The number of different disciplines that a player must master to become great for the three-second bursts of action between the white lines on Saturday is staggering. So even for a five-star prospect like Penn State offensive tackle J’ven Williams, talent alone isn’t enough to get you where you want to go without the time on task of learning what it means to be a college football player.
Blue White Illustrated caught up with the Pennsylvania native during Media Day to learn what he’s been working on this year and to give fans a glimpse at his progress through his second season on the Penn State roster.
Nutrition is a key area of growth for Williams
Williams has always been an athletic football player with impressive potential. His exploits in high school in track and football pointed toward a player with NFL potential. Williams learned some hard lessons from his first college training camp in 2023 and is prepared to be more physically resilient and capable this August.
“This summer, I’ve been working on nutrition; hydration is a huge thing. Last summer camp, I lost 15 pounds in three days, and I wasn’t able to recover throughout camp, so I was always a step behind. Now I’m 312. So now I’m a step ahead and I know what I’m getting myself into whether that is drills or anything. I feel like I’m just a step ahead of everything,” Williams said.
Williams is listed on the official Penn State roster at 306, but says he’s much closer to an ideal playing weight for his 6-5 frame. But that growth and development has been a process.
Certain players skew the development curve for the rest of Penn State’s football players. Tony Rojas gaining 30 pounds his freshman season was an eye-popping transformation. But for Williams, that growth has been progressive. It’s something he’s worked hard at to put on the right kind of weight at the right pace.
“It’s come piece by piece. When I first got here, I felt like I did too much. I got up to 317, and it wasn’t bad weight, but it wasn’t substantial to me. I wanted my weight to be healthy and stick to me, and that’s what I’ve been doing. We’re in camp now, so I’m guaranteed to lose five pounds each practice so I’ve just got to put it back on, and I’ve been doing that every day.”
College football is a marathon for all players, but it’s especially important for offensive linemen to maintain a certain body mass. This is an intentional act, as most humans can’t naturally sustain over 300 pounds on their frame. Williams knows firsthand what it’s like not to pay attention to his hydration and how it negatively affects players.
“What makes it a problem is when you don’t get that five pounds the next day. That’s when the cramping and stuff like that comes, and you won’t be able to reach your full potential.”
Penn State spring camp provided a moment for Williams
There’s no question right now that Drew Shelton will be the starting left tackle for Penn State football this fall. He assumed the starting position once he returned from his offseason surgery this summer. But while he was absent, Williams got valuable reps during spring football to show what he can do. He says it was a critical moment.
“It was really huge in my development,” Williams said. “I think I earned some trust from my teammates and coaches that I think I really needed to help me get on the field this year,” Williams said.
This summer, that faith showed up when head coach James Franklin singled him out during the team’s June media day.
“I also think J’ven has played well enough in practice that he should get time to. We’d like to be able to get him some legitimate reps, as long as things all sit the way they are now. It could become even more competitive during training camp and be more of a split. But J’ven’s done enough that we need to get him some experience as well.”
Where Williams hopes to shine
Part of that growth has also been with his positional skills. Williams came from a run-heavy offense at Wyomissing that focused on run blocking. Working on his pass protection is something we’ve been monitoring for the ultra-athletic lineman. He says he’s progressed and shown good growth.
“I’d say that it definitly progressed a lot as far as being in power in my legs. Coach always says he really loves my first kick because when you’re kicking, that’s when you can really show your athleticism. So, I try to make it look as smooth as possible.”
But Willaims made it clear during Media Day there’s one thing he loves above all else.
Running.
With new Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s wide zone concepts, Williams is in heaven.
“With the new playbook and the more emphasis on the wide stretch stuff, I think that shows my athleticism and what I can do in space.”
Does the new offense suit his skills?
Most definitely, just because there’s a lot of movement, and a lot of distortion in the playbook. It’s just getting the whole line moving and looking at different gaps and that. It really shows how I work in space. It’s going to be a really big tool for me.”
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