Miami Hurricanes 50-1 Countdown: Ranking the top 50 post-spring players … No. 44 Markeith Williams
No. 50 Miami DT Thomas Gore … No. 49 Malik Curtis … No. 48 Kaleb Spencer … No. 47 Ahmad Moten … No. 46 Jaden Harris … No. 45 Logan Sagapolu
CaneSport is breaking down the top 50 post-spring players on the roster, a list that doesn’t include any post-spring roster additions. Today we break down No. 44, Markeith Williams.
NO. 44 MIAMI S MARKEITH WILLIAMS
Why he’s No. 44
A 4-star prospect in the Class of 2022, Williams redshirted last year and saw action on defense in two games vs. Bethune-Cookman and Georgia Tech (playing special teams in two others). In 18 reps on D he graded out at 70.4 percent per Pro Football Focus, so he at least appeared to know what he was doing out there even in a very limited sample size. While Williams was mired down the depth chart last year, with Kam Kinchens, James Williams, Al Blades and Avantae Williams ahead of him, this spring with Blades and Avantae gone and James Williams out injured it was Markeith stepping up and earning first team reps ahead of Brian Balom as drills progressed. So Markeith looks like he’s poised to earn some playing time this season, albeit in a second-team role behind Kinchens and James Williams. We’ll also point to a Kam Kinchens quote from this spring for why Williams belongs on this list. Kinchens said that he’s seen the second-year safety improve in “every area,” adding “He can do big things for the team. I’ve seen him taking control of the dense as if it’s his own – taking that next step.”
What he needs to do to move up this list
There’s not much Williams can do to pass Kinchens and James Williams, but Williams in particular has been banged up quite a bit in his time at Miami so Markeith needs to be ready to step up when called upon. You get a sense of Markeith’s ceiling just from his offer list out of Orlando Evans High, with Alabama, Florida State, Florida, Oklahoma, Auburn and Tennessee among his many offers. At 6-1 and 175 pounds he is a strong, fast and aggressive safety who should do well in Lance Guidry’s system that calls on safeties to be able to blitz, tackle and cover effectively.
Realistic season objective
Markeith needs to be ready to step up and spell Kinchens and James Williams during games as the primary backup and he should be able to play either safety spot. In Year 2 he will be an important part of the defensive depth chart and should get his first real opportunity to impact games in meaningful reps. He needs to be ready for those opportunities as the last line of defense, especially considering the thin depth here – along with Kinchens, James Williams and Balom, the only other true safety listed on the roster is true freshman Kaleb Spencer.
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