Legs
This one probably goes without saying, but Williams was a great player because of what he could do with his legs. His legs would open up the passing game.
Williams never had below 500 yards rushing in a season and totaled 2,557 yards rushing during his career at Illinois. The dynamic one-two punch of him and Rashard Mendenhall during that 2007 season was exciting. Williams’ legs kept Illinois in a lot of games during his time behind center.
The legs of Williams were special, but there was a tendency to rely on them too much at times. I wanted to see the arm of Williams develop more, and his running ability might have hindered that a bit. But let’s not get things confused, he was a sensational playmaker because of his legs.
While Peters is going to lose out in this category, let’s not skim past his running ability. The tall quarterback doesn’t look like much of a runner, but his legs were able to extend drives and helped Illinois score points in 2019.
Peters rushed for 213 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first season with the Illini. His passing ability enables the running game to open up. Defenders have to drop back, which leaves the middle of the field open for Peters to take off. His running ability sneaks up on people.