Oregon Football: Devon Williams on verge of breakout 2021 season

Earlier on Wednesday, I wrote about Oregon’s receiving corps being one of the most underrated in the entire country. The Ducks return all three starters from last year and are about eight deep at the position but one receiver stood out above the rest.

After watching some highlights, looking at some high school tape, reviewing his numbers from 2020 and realizing his size and skillset, it was clear that Devon Williams could be that dude.

Williams finished a COVID-shortened 2020 season with 15 catches for 286 yards and two touchdowns which topped the totals from his first two seasons at USC where he caught five passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. He transferred out of Los Angeles and headed north to Oregon where he thrived in his first year with the Ducks.

He was Oregon’s top receiver in 2020 and that was with uncertainty at quarterback and only seven full games. Imagine what he could do with a locked-in QB1 and 12 regular season games.

Devon Williams has WR1 abilities

Mario Cristobal has to feel lucky to have eight guys who could legitimately be go-to receivers and likely would at any other program, but the Ducks are especially deep at wide out.

But Williams stands out because of his 6-foot-5, 205-pound frame and his ability to be a home-run threat. He averaged 19.6 yards per reception at USC and then came over to Oregon and averaged 19.1 on triple the catches. He can burn defensive backs deep and his hands are strong enough to make the most difficult catches.

Williams is a deep-ball threat and a potential red-zone specialist with his size. He has all the tools to become a superstar at the collegiate level and if he stays healthy, he’s in for a big year.

If he can finished with 19.1 yards per catch in 2020 with little time to adjust to his new team, imagine what his numbers will look like in 2021 with a full offseason and the likelihood of him being the No. 1 receiver.

Oregon has a true WR1 and he’s barely scratched the surface.