The 50 most important college players in Texas in 2017 — No. 26: Texas A&M's Trayveon Williams

The importance of a player is not always defined by their skill level. The most important player on a team or in a unit is not always the best player on a team. This list is designed to breakdown the 50 most important players in Texas college football for the 2017 season. It is not a ranking of the 50 best college football players in the state. Importance can be defined by position, need, skill or leadership. We’ll count down the list through the summer, all the way to No. 1. Previously:50 – Lamar DE Daniel Crosley / 49 – TCU WR KaVontae Turpin / 48 – UTEP QB Ryan Metz47 – UMHB RB Markeith Miller / 46 – Sam Houston State DE PJ Hall / 45 – Baylor WR Blake Lynch44 – Texas Tech WR Jonathan Giles (transferred) / 43 – Texas Tech RB Justin Stockton42 – PVAMU WR Joshua Simmons / 41 – Rice RB Samuel Stewart / 40 – UNT WR Jalen Guyton39 – Texas RB Chris Warren / 38 – Rice OL Trey Martin / 37 – Texas A&M Commerce QB Luis Perez36 – Baylor DL K.J. Smith / 35 – Texas State LB Gabe Loyd / 34 – Texas State WR Thurman Morbley33 – Houston DB Khalil Williams / 32 – Texas Tech LB Jordyn Brooks / 31 – SFA DL John Franklin30 – SMU DE Justin Lawler / 29 – Texas State QB Damian Williams / 28 – ACU QB Dallas Sealey27 – UTSA QB Dalton SturmThe History Trayveon Williams was one of the biggest recruiting wins for Kevin Sumlin last year and he lived up to the hype right away with the Aggies. Williams broke onto the scene while rushing for 704 yards in the first six games of the year – all wins for Texas A&M. He finished the season with 156 carries for 1,057 yards and eight touchdowns, becoming the first true freshman in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. That gives A&M a lot to build from heading into his sophomore campaign. Williams was a highly recruited running back out of C.E. King High School in Houston, where he was regarded by most as one of the top prospects in the country. In his last two seasons alone, Williams led the Panthers to their best run in more than a decade while rushing for more than 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns. The Skillset Williams teamed up with Trevor Knight and Keith Ford to create one of the best running offenses in the country. He worked well as a key piece in Noel Mazzone’s scheme and should only continue to improve as he gains experience in the system. Williams has the speed to break through defenses with ease and he hits the hole hard. He has the strength to break through arm tackles and the shiftiness to make people miss in the secondary, which leads to big plays for the A&M offense. The Impact When Williams was putting up big numbers early in the year, the Aggies were cruising through the schedule with a 6-0 start to the regular season. But those numbers tailed off after a 217-yard effort against Tennessee, as the freshman went on to rush for just 353 yards in the final seven games of the year when A&M went 2-5 to close out the season. For the Aggies to overcome some key losses from last year’s team and improve this season, Williams will need to play near the level he did at the start of last year. His impact in those games helped A&M get off to an impressive start and his opportunities and production should increase as a sophomore.

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