Marshall, Texas Coach Jake Griedl has seen his share of great talent, but sees Arkansas receiver commitment Savion Williams worthy of being called special.
“Savion is exactly what the big-timers look like,” Griedl said. “He already looks the part and the scary thing is he hasn’t even been tapped yet in the way you know a college program is going to tap into him.”
Williams 6-5, 215 pounds, 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, picked the Razorbacks over scholarship offers from Baylor, Missouri, Texas Tech, TCU, Kansas State, Illinois, Kansas, SMU and others in May.
Griedl said Williams is seeing the benefits of Marshall’s weight and conditioning program.
"We try to conduct ourselves like a college program,” Griedl said. “We have an ex-collegiate, ex-NFL strength coach that works with our kids. That’s our full-time strength guy.”
Griedl served as the receivers coach and strength and conditioning coordinator at Texas powerhouse Lake Travis in 2013 to 2016. Griedl was promoted to head coach after being the offensive coordinator the past two seasons.
While Williams looks like a physical specimen now, Griedl is anxious to see him in a few years while in Fayetteville.
“It’s encouraging when he takes that step to Arkansas and he’s full time in the weight room and on the meal plan, you think he looks incredible now, it will be interesting to see him in a few years from now,” Griedl said.
Williams has moved to quarterback after the starter was dismissed from the team. Griedl believes Williams would be an elite signal caller had he worked at the position as a sophomore up.
“He would probably be the number one recruit in the nation as a a quarterback right now,” he said. “He’s that athletic and that coachable.
“He can stand flatfooted and throw 70 yards. It’s impressive to watch.”
Being able to pass and run at quarterback makes Williams think about operating out of the wildcat at Arkansas, but isn’t optimistic receivers coach Justin Stepp will agree to it.
“He doesn't even want me in the backfield,” Williams said with a smile. “I like running the ball because I can do a lot of things with the ball.”
He has 10 catches for 113 yards, 2 touchdowns while rushing for 37 yards and completing 1 of 3 passes for 64 yards and a touchdowns in three games this season. Williams said he and Stepp talk often.
“He talks to me everyday and calls me every now and then and tells me what he and his son will be doing,” Williams said. “He just checks on me all of the time.”
Williams is as solid as he can be to the Hogs.
“When I went up there on my visit, it just felt like a big family,” he said. “Like everybody is together. I like the fan base.”
He had 42 receptions for 649 yards and 12 touchdowns, and 9 rushes for 37 yards as a junior. He also completed 3 of 3 passes for 117 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Williams loves spending time in the outdoors.
“I like to do everything in the wilderness, I like to ride horses, go fishing,” Williams said.
Williams said time spent with his grandmother made him fall in love with cooking and has him interested in majoring in culinary arts.
“Me and my granny would be in the country all the time and not have anything to do so we would go to the store and buy stuff and she would sit there and watch me and she would tell me what to do,” Williams said.
His specialty in the kitchen is baked chicken.
“I put a little lemon pepper on it,” Williams said.