San Mateo (Calif.) College of San Mateo defensive back Bennett Williams joined Oregon’s class of 2020 last month when he chose the Ducks over Colorado, Oregon State and others. Originally a Class of 2017 Illinois commit, Williams transferred to the College of San Mateo in the middle of his sophomore year.

As a freshman for the Illini Williams tallied 64 tackles and three interceptions. Playing for San Mateo this year he was noted by some experts as one of the top junior college safeties in the country, including First Team All-Conference honors.

On Tuesday he released his sophomore San Mateo film and it became evident why the Ducks are so high on this prospect, currently rated with two-stars.

Run Support

The first thing that stands out about Williams is his ability to support the run. San Mateo used him all over the field in different defenses. He lined up primarily as a safety, but also moved up to the line on occasion for man coverage and sometimes as an outside linebacker.

The reason for his versatility centers on his ability to support the run. He is not afraid to stick his nose in there, and fills gaps like a linebacker. He is a sure tackler and can be a hard hitter. He grades out very well against the run.

Cover skills

Williams can definitely play zone and shows great instincts from those defenses. His man-to-man skills are also good, and he can flick his hips around just like a cornerback.

Size

At 6-foot-1, 195-pounds he has what amounts to prototypical college safety size. Big enough if he gets matched on a tight end, small enough if he gets matched up on a speedy wide receiver.

Speed

Williams clearly has enough speed for safety. In his sophomore San Mateo film he runs more like a cornerback so he is fine in this category.

Bonus: Special teams

As a junior college transfer, Williams will be expected to be able to be ready to contribute for the 2020 season. What helps his case is his abilities on special teams, where he excelled for San Mateo as a punt returner but played on FG defense and KOR also.

Prognosis

Oregon should return its starting defensive backs in 2020 but Williams is still a likely contributor. The reason for this is his versatility. He can play safety, nickel and special teams and based on his sophomore film, can do it at the Pac-12 level.

With the graduation of Haki Woods Williams will be fighting for the two-deep at nickel right away.