UNC Football: 2020 could be breakout year for Tar Heels’ Javonte Williams

Junior running back Javonte Williams is poised for a breakout season in 2020, and the UNC football program will benefit greatly from it.

Last season, Javonte Williams was part of a three-pronged rushing attack at North Carolina that included senior running back Antonio Williams, and junior standout Michael Carter. The trio rushed for a combined 2,258 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

The Tar Heels’ talented backfield was one of the main reasons that their offense — and freshman quarterback Sam Howell — had so much success in 2019 after winning just two games the prior season. Not only did they rack up better than 2,500 yards from scrimmage in their first season under head coach Mack Brown, they took pressure off of their rookie signal-caller. Their ability to effectively run the football forced defenses to stay honest, and gave Howell time to throw the ball downfield to Dazz Newsome, Dyami Brown and company.

After a sophomore season in which Williams rushed for 933 yards on just 133 attempts — a 5.6 yard-per-carry average — it’s not going to surprise anyone if he follows it up with a tremendous junior campaign. Bleacher Report’s Brad Shapard said as much in a recent piece, naming Williams one of the ACC’s top 10 breakout players for the 2020 season.

"“With quarterback Sam Howell and receivers Dazz Newsome and Dyami Brown returning for the North Carolina Tar Heels,” Shepard writes, “will there be any offensive yards left over for a running back? You’d better believe Javonte Williams will find some. Head coach Mack Brown will utilize him in different ways to ensure the young playmaker has a way to impact games.Williams wasn’t even the Tar Heels’ leading rusher last year, and Michael Carter will join him again this season. The former arguably had a better season than Carter a year ago, though. Williams finished the year with 933 yards while averaging 5.6 yards per carry and led the team with five touchdowns. He also showed his versatility with 17 catches for 176 receiving yards.With Howell flinging darts, two electrifying receivers, Williams and Carter at running back and the way Brown is recruiting on defense, it’s easy to see why everybody around Chapel Hill is excited about the direction of the program. Expect to hear a lot about North Carolina’s prolific offense this season, and for Williams to be right at the forefront of it. He has a few seasons of eligibility remaining to keep posting big rushing numbers, too.”"

There’s no doubt that Howell’s ability to get the ball to Newsome and Brown for big plays downfield will open up the run game for Williams and Carter. Given that the former combined for nearly 2,100 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns in their first season with Howell, it stands to reason that they’ll have similar or potentially greater success in year two. If they do, look for Williams and his backfield cohorts to continue taking advantage of it, and gashing opposing teams in the ground game.

We’ll get our first look at Williams and the Tar Heels in just under two weeks when they take on the Syracuse Orange at Kenan Stadium.

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