Illinois Football: Illini wide receiver depth is building

So far, through a little over a week of training camp, there have been some surprises for the Illinois football team.

The quarterback situation is still getting worked out. They have some depth there now and that will only make the team better. I am curious to see who the starting defensive backs will be for the Illini as well. The defensive backfield is important if Illinois wants to win games this season.

Another area that is getting worked out is at wide receiver. Yes, we all know who will be the main staples at this position as of right now. Ricky Smalling is one of the best wide receivers Illinois has had in quite some time and will likely be a candidate for an All-American team in the next few years.

Mike Dudek is the most experienced wide receiver on the team, and he is going to start alongside Smalling in 2018.  The No. 3 wide receiver is shaping up to be Sam Mays. He came back after thinking about transferring. He is a senior this season and will be important as well.

The wide receiver depth chart beyond those three starters is in question right now. But, it looks like one playmaker who is emerging as a contender for the No. 4 spot on this wide receiver depth chart is none other than Justice Williams.

Yes, I am talking about that Justice Williams. The player who came into the Illinois football program on the defensive side of the ball. He played the last two seasons for the Illini as a linebacker but, this spring, he flipped over to the offensive side of the ball to play wide receiver for the Orange and Blue.

Eli Schuster of the Daily Illini did a great article on Williams and his transformation into a pass catcher. In the article, there are some great quotes and information about how Williams is doing right now.

The biggest thing I took from the article is the fact Williams can go up and get the ball. Illinois already has good route running wide receivers. They need someone who is big, strong and fast. Having a quarterback who isn’t the most accurate in the game is going to require a wide receiver who can get the ball even if it is off target. That is what we are getting with Williams who is also 6-foot-3.

Williams seems to be competing for that No. 4 wide receiver spot on the roster. He has some competition, though. With Carmoni Green, Caleb Reams and Carlos Sandy lurking, he will have to show the coaching staff he is the man for the job.

Not only am I excited for the great competition at quarterback, but we are developing some okay depth at wide receiver as well. Having more weapons on the outside is important. The Illini quarterback is going to need some help, and I think we finally have the playmakers.