He's a 6-foot-3, 200-pound dual-threat quarterback who at his best is dynamic, unstoppable playmaker capable of beating any team in the country. At his worst, he barely completes 30 percent of his passes, can't throw 10 yards downfield and can't beat one of the worst defenses in the FBS.
"He" is pre-Heisman Lamar Jackson. Or Troy Williams.
Williams is Utah's senior quarterback looking to harness his extraordinary talents. The former Washington transfer is smart, mature, athletic and has one hell of an arm. And like pre-Heisman Lamar Jackson, Williams is bursting with potential and ready to explode.
He wasn't a bad quarterback in 2016; he was just an unreliable one. Williams had a completion percentage of 53.1, averaged barely seven yards per attempt and threw one touchdown over a four-game midseason stretch.
At times, he looked lost — 13-of-40 vs. Colorado and 4-of-13 vs. Oregon State — and others looked like an all-conference player with a powerful arm and responsibly aggressive decision-making — two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to beat USC.
"He’s a very mature kid," says Troy Taylor, Utah's first-year offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. "He’s hard-worker and just really consistent throughout the spring . . . he’s accurate, especially on his long ball."
Before Jackson threw for 3,543 yards and 30 touchdowns and averaged 8.7 yards per attempt last year, he was one of the most inefficient, irresponsible quarterbacks in the nation. The arm strength, scrambling ability and athleticism was there; he just couldn't string together good drives, let alone entire games.
In 2016, Jackson finally harnessed the talent, remained composed in the pocket and led a powerful vertical passing attack. He bumped his yards-per-attempt average (7.5 to 8.7), touchdown-to-interception ratio (1.5:1 to 3.3:1) and threw just one interception every 45 passes (31 in 2015).
Both — particularly Williams, who had four future NFL lineman in the front of him — played with good offensive lines. However, when the pocket does break down, both are quick, elusive runners.
"Troy has the ability to run and get himself out of trouble but is more a drop-back guy," says Taylor, whose Eastern Washington offense led the FCS in passing and ranked second in total offense in 2016. "[Williams running] is a game-by-game basis. I do like quarterback runs. It’s just how people are playing you. He definitely has the ability to run the ball and there will be games he runs more and games where he has a couple carries."
Williams had only 235 rushing yards in 2016 but didn't have many designed runs and had fewer than 10 carries in eight of their 13 games, including 25 total in their first five games.
Jackson, meanwhile, led FBS quarterbacks with 1,571 rushing yards, ranking 10th among all positions. He had seven 100-yard games and 21 rushing touchdowns, routinely terrorizing defenses with his legs.
"I don't necessarily look at it how Troy can play better like he did against certain opponents because the system is just so different," Taylor said of the Oregon State and Colorado games. "I just know the ability is there and it’s my job for all our quarterbacks to draw out the consistency and skill set they have."
Williams hasn't even won the starting job. He is battling sophomore Tyler Huntley and Alabama transfer Cooper Bateman in what Taylor says is a 100-percent open competition.
"We’re going to let it play out. They all played well in the spring. Troy and Tyler shared most of the reps and Cooper got about 20 percent of the reps. But they all played well."
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Bateman is a former four-star recruit from nearby Murray, Utah, who arrived from Tuscaloosa over the winter. He played sparingly in four years for Crimson Tide, making one start and attempting just 66 total passes.
“I’m a Cooper Bateman fan," said head coach Kyle Whittingham in April. "I think he’s a great kid. He’s a mature kid. He’s got a great attitude. I can’t say enough good things about him. It’s going to be interesting this fall. I mean, he has got a shot. We’ll see what happens in fall camp.”
The third contender is Tyler Huntley that, ironically, Taylor thinks is similar to Lamar Jackson. Huntley, a three-star recruit and the nation's 25th-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the 2016 class, appeared in four games as a true freshman. He was OK in the spring game, going 8-for-12 for 65 yards and one interception.
"To be honest with you, I’ve liked all three quarterbacks," says Taylor. "They’re all different but they’re all talented and I feel like we can win with all of them. Tyler is dynamic like [Lamar Jackson], a dual-threat guy who can make things happen with his arm and legs. Very competitive. He gives you a different element."
So maybe it's Tyler Huntley who's the next Lamar Jackson, not Troy Williams? Regardless, this will be a must-watch competition come August.
