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Saturday, December 7

Williams returns to Texas, but wants expanded role

By Bruce Feldman
ESPN The Magazine

So now that Texas star Roy Williams had his press conference and reiterated that he's staying for his senior year, the big wideout wouldn't mind pulling a "Gamble."

"I'd like to play defense," he told ESPN The Magazine Wednesday. "I think I could stay back and read the quarterback's eyes. I did fairly well at it in high school. And (playing safety) is something I'd love to try."

Will Texas' Roy Williams play on both sides of the ball next year?
In fact, the last game Williams played safety was at Texas powerhouse Permian High and he picked off three passes to close out his prep career.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder says he's never had a conversation about it with UT coach Mack Brown, but might so he can give it a try during spring ball.

Williams, who was hearing rumors about how the Cowboys would love to take him with the 5th pick, conceded he'd given leaving early some consideration but felt he simply wanted to stay at UT one more season. "I guess I shocked some people," he said. Most observers had been championing high-profile underclassmen and players touted as early-round picks to jump to the NFL after seeing Willis McGahee's gruesome knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl, but Williams wasn't swayed.

"Injuries are part of football," he said. "I mean I really hurt for Willis McGahee. He had 11 minutes left to play and it was just a freak thing. But that's football."

Williams says he does have an insurance policy.

Cleaning out the notebook

The most underrated tailback recruit on the West Coast could be headed to the Oregon Ducks. Some coaches we spoke with at last week's coaches convention in New Orleans were really high on Maurice Drew, a shifty 5-8, 200-pounder from California's mighty De La Salle High.

Word is Drew, a guy who didn't see much game action until his senior season, has the maturity and skills to come in and be an impact guy. This year, he ran for 1,459 yards and 20 touchdowns in helping the Spartans win their fourth USA Today national title.

Drew already had visited Colorado in December before taking a trip up to Eugene, where he got the first-class treatment and was blown away by the Ducks program. Drew is scheduled to visit USC this weekend and then UCLA and Cal before making a decision.

Drew showcased his versatility in this month's CaliFlorida Bowl by catching five passes for 60. "He's a tough guy and has a little Emmitt Smith in him," says one scout. "The other thing you love about those De La Salle kids is you know they know how to work and they're already advanced when it comes to getting into your weight program because they have such a great operation there."

Some recruiting experts are hailing Joe Cohen as the top prospect in the state of Florida. A ripped-up 6-2, 245 pounds, Cohen looked the part when we saw him at the US Army All-American Game in Texas last weekend. LSU, Miami, UF and FSU are all after him and Cohen says he loved his trip to Baton Rouge, but expect the Palm Bay product to end up as a Seminole. And expect him to be bringing teammate Reggie Nelson, a dynamic 6-foot, 175-pound safety who might be the biggest hitter pound-for-pound in the South. Cohen says they'd like to go as a package deal. The hook is that while most schools project him as a DE, Cohen has other ideas.

"I want to be a running back," he said. "No, not a fullback. A running back. Because there's a big difference between being a running back and being a fullback. And if schools want me to play fullback, I'd rather just play defense."

Greg Mark, UM's D-line coach, is recruiting Cohen for the 'Canes, but the 19-year-old explained that head coach Larry Coker did an in-home visit and said he wanted Cohen as a running back. Still, FSU has a big wild card: 'Nole tailback Greg Jones.

Cohen, who clocked a 4.47 forty at the Nike combine at Miami this summer, ran for over 1,000 yards and 16 TDs in 2002. He says he is a huge Jones fan.

"He had to earn his respect because the Florida schools don't really use big running backs," Cohen said. "I thank God for Greg Jones." Not so coincidentally, FSU had Jones host Cohen on his visit to Tallahassee last weekend and the Palm Bay senior seemed to love the place.

Speaking of preferential positioning, Ohio State should have a great in with standout Shawn Crable. Not only is the 6-6, 230-pound blue-chipper from Buckeye legend Chris Spielman's old turf (Massillon, Ohio), the Bucks can also show off all-American LB Matt Wilhelm, football's tallest linebacker. See, because of Crable's lanky frame most recruiters are envisioning him of blossoming into a defensive end. But Crable doesn't see things that way. "I'll play D-end on certain downs, but I don't wanna be a D-end," he said. "I wanna be a linebacker. Anybody's who's talking strictly D-end, I don't want to go there."

The top wideout at the Army All-American Game, Tampa's Andre Caldwell says he probably will go down to the wire on his decision between Florida and Miami. The smooth 6-2, 185-pound younger brother of Gator star Reche Caldwell loved Steve Spurrier's wide-open offense. "If he would've stayed there," Caldwell says of Spurrier, "I definitely would've went there."

Caldwell says he's become enamored with Miami because of the atmosphere around the program. "You just wanna be around a bunch of winners and Miami is a bunch of winners," Caldwell says. "They'll bring out the best in you. That's what they do at Miami."

But, that said, the Gators will be tough to beat, now that all-world QB recruit Chris Leak is headed to Gainesville. Caldwell became a big fan of Leak's presence and level head, not to mention he's pure passing skills.

If Leak wasn't the most impressive player in that game, Maryland pass-rushing whiz Victor Abiamiri was. The 6-6, 245-pound speed rusher lit up touted LT prospect Jorrie Adams. Word is Abiamiri and fellow blue-chipper Wesley Jefferson, a middle linebacker, both are headed Ralph Friedgen's way where each could become starters from day one at Maryland.

Our spies (a college QB who buddies call Mel Kiper Jr.) report from last month's North Carolina-South Carolina Shrine Game that Mario Williams, a 6-6, 250-pound DE with legit sub-4.6 speed, is better than any of the D-linemen who played in the All-American Bowl. "He's unreal," says the QB.

Williams already is enrolled at NC State.

Bruce Feldman covers college football for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at bruce.feldman@espnmag.com.

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