The 50 most important college players in Texas in 2017 — No. 7: Baylor's Terence 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 Sturm / 26 – Texas A&M RB Trayveon Williams / 25 – UTSA WR Josh Stewart24 – TCU LB Travin Howard / 23 – Texas Tech OL Travis Bruffy / 22 – Rice LB Emmanuel Ellerbee21 – UNT DT Bryce English / 20 – TCU LB Ty Summers / 19 – UTEP LB Alvin Jones18 – The Baylor QB / 17 – UTSA LB Josiah Tauaefa / 16 – Texas A&M OL Koda Martin15 – Texas Tech QB Nic Shimonek / 14 – Texas LB Malik Jefferson / 13 – TexasA&M WR Christian Kirk12 – Houston QB Kyle Allen / 11 – SMU WR Courtland Sutton / 10 – SHSU QB Jeremiah Briscoe9 – Texas QB Shane Buechele / 8 – UTEP OL Will HernandezThe History Terence Williams – not to be confused with former Baylor receiver and current Cowboys’ wideout Terrance Williams – was one of only a few young bright spots during a rough season for the Bears in 2016. A former highly recruited running back out of Ennis High School, Williams began the year splitting most of his time in the backfield with Shock Linwood. But when Linwood faded from the picture as the season went along, Williams emerged as the go-to back down the stretch of the season. He finished with a team-high 1,048 yards and 11 touchdowns on 185 carries, averaging just less than six yards per carry on the season. The breakout year almost doubled the production Williams managed as a freshman in 2015, when he rushed for 556 yards and three touchdowns on 88 carries. Williams redshirted in 2014 after enrolling at Baylor early as one of the top running back recruits in the country out of Ennis. He racked up a career total of 4,306 yards and 54 touchdowns and earned all-state honors in his final season with the Lions. The Skillset While Williams has put up big numbers the last two years, he should be ready to take another step forward this season. His skillset fits in well with the offense Matt Rhule is bringing to the table – Williams (6-2, 220 lbs.) is a bruiser that can handle a heavy workload, and he has the ability to run both inside and outside the tackles. He won’t outrun a lot of players in the secondary and doesn’t consistently break off long runs, but he will put his head down and pick up extra yardage in the second level. His ability to hit the hole and eat up yardage (5.7 ypc) will help take some pressure off whoever gets the nod at quarterback for the Bears. The Impact With question marks as to who will be running the offense under center, Baylor fans can rest easy knowing they have one of the best running backs in the state back to lead the charge. Rhule’s scheme is sure to put Williams to use, and the pro-style offense will likely rely heavily on his ability to pick up tough yards consistently. JaMycal Hasty is a reliable option in the backfield as well and will serve as a solid complementary option, but Williams will have to have another big year as the program kicks off the Rhule era.

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