There’s no question LSU football has had some incredible running backs walk through their doors over the years. While the Tigers didn’t necessarily have any dominating running backs in 2022, they certainly didn’t lack any talent. They had something of a four-man running back rotation, but none finished the season stronger than Josh Williams. Now, heading into 2023, Williams has the respect of the entire conference, coming in as a top 10 returning back in the SEC.
Josh Williams is a top 10 returning back in the SEC, according to PFF
Every year, Pro Football Focus grades each college football player to determine how well they did in a season. When looking at the top 10 returning running backs within the SEC, there are plenty of big-play big-stat line type of players. Then, there’s the LSU football running back who may not have dominated on the stat sheet but has the talent to compete with the best of the best: Josh Williams.
In 2022, Josh Williams recorded a total of 532 yards and six touchdowns on just 97 carries. That’s an average of 5.5 yards per carry. In addition to his incredible efficiency, he wasn’t afraid to take a hit or two to protect his quarterback in the passing game. Williams did everything the LSU football team asked of him, and it paid off towards the end of the season.
Josh Williams received most of his carries for the 2022 season in the final five games of the year. In that stretch, he recorded a whopping 409 yards and three touchdowns on 62 carries. For those keeping track, that’s 6.6 yards per carry during the final five games of the season before he ultimately went down with an injury in the SEC Championship versus Georgia.
Williams’ journey to the top
Anyone who follows college football is well aware of LSU football and its elite running back history. Players like Leonard Fournette, Kevin Faulk and Clyde Edwards-Helaire were exceptional wearing the purple and gold. Still, few have a story quite as remarkable as Josh Williams’ and his journey to becoming a star for the Tigers.
Coming in as a freshman in 2019, Josh Williams was listed as a two-star prospect and the No. 248 running back in the country. He received scholarship offers from a few smaller schools, such as Drake and Dayton, but ultimately chose to walk on for LSU football. It was his dream school, and for him, it was worth the effort it would take to get into the rotation.
He spent the Tigers’ 2019 national championship run on the scout team but wasted no time making his mark in his next three seasons with the program. Following his true freshman season, he would play in every game until his injury in 2022. Throughout his career, he’s recorded 727 yards and six touchdowns, and there’s little doubt he’s looking to break the 1,000-yard mark in 2023.
If we’ve learned anything from the Josh Williams story of the last four years, it’s that he doesn’t give up. Despite recovering from an injury at the moment, don’t be surprised if he comes back even stronger for his redshirt senior season. It’s simply what he does, and we’ll all be cheering him on as he looks to cap off his inspiring career with an even more inspiring season.
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