A steep decline in talented Texas A&M football running back Trayveon Williams brought up some unexpected issues in 2017. How will he rebound in 2018?
Texas A&M football needs a few different things to come together in order to see a solid offensive output in 2018 under first-year head coach Jimbo Fisher. The one constant for the Aggies’ offense this season is the ground game. More experience is returning in the backfield than at any other position on the offensive side of the ball.
A few names to watch for the 2018 season in College Station in the backfield includes Trayveon Williams, Kendall Bussey, and Jacob Kibodi. Each of those rushers has proven they can handle significant workloads in the SEC. Last year, none of them stuck out individually enough to become the deserving clear starter.
Coming off a huge freshman campaign in 2016, many expected Williams to take the next step to prominence in 2017. However, he fell short of those expectations, despite still having numerous productive outings last season. Williams did have more than 1,000 rushing yards in his freshman season, but that dropped below 800 in 2017.
The major factor that contributed to Williams’ drop in production last year was a significant decline in his average yards per carry. In 2016, Williams averaged nearly seven yards per carry, specifically at 6.8. Meanwhile in 2017, he averaged 4.4 yards per carry. Any drop by more than two yards per carry between two seasons highlights a big issue in a running back’s output.
Whether there needs to be more stability at quarterback, or a more consistent offensive line performance, the Aggies should improve in both areas. That should help Williams not only get back to the level he was performing at two years ago, but set career marks in yards and touchdowns on the ground.
On a more positive note, Williams didn’t see as big of a drop in his number of rushing touchdowns as he did rushing yards. He only had one less rushing touchdown in 2017 than he did in 2016. Increasing his rushing yard total, while keeping a significant workload, should help him get to double-digit rushing scores for the first time in his career.
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There is hope for Williams to have his best year in college yet with the Aggies. He does have to find a good groove before the kick off of the 2018 regular season. Yet, an improved Texas A&M offense along with Fisher’s takeover at the helm should be enough to boost his overall production on the field in 2018.