Three days, three Texas A&M juniors declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft. This time, it's the team's MVP for 2018, RB Trayveon Williams.
Williams leaves after a remarkable 2018: he smashed A&M's single-season rushing record with 1,760 yards, set the school record for most 200-plus yard games for a career (five), led the SEC in rushing on the way to a first-team All-SEC nod and landed on the AP All-American team.
He saved his best for last, rushing for a Gator Bowl-record 236 yards, including a 93-yard touchdown sprint, in the Aggies' 52-13 dismantling of N.C. State. Had he returned, he would have almost certainly become A&M's all-time leading rusher barring injury.
But that prospect of injury, along with a family that suffered greatly due to Hurricane Harvey last year, led Williams to declare for the draft Thursday.
Serious debate about draft position
While the 2019 draft class for running backs is mediocre, scouts have been lukewarm on Williams -- at least, they were before the second half of this season. The knocks on him have been repeated: he's not that big; he doesn't run in a physical style and doesn't have great vision or cutback ability.
Frankly, he proved the last three to be bogus during his 2018 campaign, especially down the stretch as he ran for 107, 228, 167, 198 and 236 yards in his final five games. Those totals came against some of the nation's top rush defenses -- Auburn, UAB, LSU and N.C. State (Ole Miss, not so much).
Williams deserves a re-assessment after a stellar season. If he performs well at the combine and A&M's Pro Day, he'll definitely have people going back to look at more film. At the moment, he's likely a mid- to late-round pick but has room to move up.
Corbin moves into the starter's role
With Williams' departure, rising sophomore Jashaun Corbin takes over as the starting running back. Corbin made the most of his chances this season, rushing for 347 yards at 5.7 yards per carry. The real question will be who backs Corbin up. Vernon Jackson was the active fourth back (behind Williams, Corbin and Kwame Etwi) for most road games, but Deneric Prince and Jacob Kibodi will also get a shot in the spring (Charles Strong has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal and will likely depart). Another possibility has yet to arrive on campus: freshman Isaiah Spiller, a Rivals.com 4-star who ran for 1,493 yards and 20 TD during his senior season at Klein Collins.
