• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

DB Marcus Williamson (Official Thread)

MARCUS WILLIAMSON WORKING TO EARN SPOT IN CORNERBACK ROTATION

92289_h.jpg


With Ohio State's recent success at cornerback and its current depth at the position, reps could be hard to come by in 2018.

Sophomore Marcus Williamson, though, is doing whatever it takes to earn more playing time this season.

The Westerville, Ohio native collected six tackles last season while playing mostly special teams as the likes of Denzel Ward, Kendall Sheffield and Damon Arnette played the bulk of the reps at corner. With Ward gone, a spot in the rotation could open up if the Buckeyes continue their tradition of keeping fresh bodies in the secondary, and Williamson is working hard to put his name into consideration.

"(Everybody) has dreams to play. Especially with our unit, we are so tight-knit and you can see it every play. You cover your man and you do your job, you're going to play," Williamson said. "It's not really a competition thing. The guy that works the hardest is going to get it. Whoever makes the plays is going to be out there. We understand that so we just try to make each other better to get out there and play."

Entire article: https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...n-working-to-earn-spot-in-cornerback-rotation
 
Upvote 0
6 Buckeye Football Players Facing Important Springs: Defense

Spring football can seem like one of the less-intense parts of the year for a college football player. Far from the bright lights and screaming crowds of the fall, those 15 spring practices are nonetheless one of the most important months in many players’ careers.

It’s the time when the young backups finally get a chance to replace the departed stars and run with the first-team.

It’s also the first chance the early-enrolling freshmen get to start building their case for playing time.

But there is a third category of player on the roster this spring: veterans who are still working to earn their way to regular playing time.

These mostly aren’t guys who were top backups last year, and in line for the starting job this season. These are players who’ve been working for several years to get onto the two-deep or into the regular rotation, and who seemingly have a clearer path to get there this fall.

CB Marcus Williamson, Senior

Williamson was a top-200 player coming out of IMG Academy in Florida. He saw the field immediately at OSU, playing in 10 games, getting 10 or more snaps in five of them.

He seemed well on his way to becoming the latest in OSU’s long line of first-round corners.

But an injury cut his 2018 season short, and he only appeared on defense in seven games in 2019. He had seven tackles and recovered one fumble. But when Shaun Wade sat out the Michigan game with an injury, it was Amir Riep who replaced him, not Williamson.

All of a sudden, that promising true freshman is entering his senior year.

With Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette gone, and Wade likely moving to one of the outside corner spots, Williamson has a chance to win a spot in the rotation in the slot.

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2020/01/6-buckeye-football-players-facing-important-springs-defense/
 
Upvote 0
CORNERBACK MARCUS WILLIAMSON
Similarly to Harris’ situation, Williamson is a senior who hasn’t played as much as some of the younger cornerbacks whom he started ahead of when spring practices began.

Since he began as the first-team slot corner and didn’t get overtaken, he’ll likely also start preseason camp with the starters. Will he remain there? It’s hard to know. Kerry Coombs could move either Cameron Brown or Sevyn Banks inside. But at least in part because spring ended prematurely, there’s a good chance Williamson will open August as the starting slot.

 
Upvote 0


Marcus Williamson stood up, turned toward his mother, smiled and raised his hands above his head to make a celebratory “O” as she snapped a photo of him with the school’s band playing in the background.

For years, his parents – Maron and Tamar – had dreamed of this moment. Of their middle son, a Westerville native and rising senior cornerback at Ohio State, graduating from the university in just three years. On May 3, that day came. It just didn’t go as they once expected.

Rather than the traditional graduation garb with a cap, Williamson wore a white and gray sweatshirt with matching sweatpants. Instead of packing into Ohio Stadium with the rest of the graduates and their families, the Williamsons watched an online presentation with Tamar connecting her phone to broadcast it on their television in the living room.

“In terms of graduation, it was kind of, how can I put it,” Marlon said. “It was a rewarding but disappointing moment for me because my oldest son, which his name is Matthew, he graduated from Ashland University. I was able to see him walk across the stage and we were there and we were taking pictures afterward. With Marcus, to be a graduate from The Ohio State University, for years I looked forward to going down to the university and seeing him walk across the stage. A heck of an accomplishment. He did it in three years. That's a testament to his hard work and effort.

“But we made the most of it.” Shortly after the ceremony concluded, Marcus walked outside of his house to excitement. His mother had contacted family and friends who drove by as part of what his dad called a “car parade.” Out of their windows, they cheered, honking and yelling congratulations to him. Their neighbors soon came outside to wish him success and happiness.

“It turned out to be a really nice situation,” Marlon said.

There’s a decent chance Marlon will get a second chance to see his son graduate from Ohio State. With law school as the long-term goal, Marcus is planning to attend the John Glenn College of Public Affairs for graduate school next year.

As he’s doing that, of course, he’s also gearing up for his senior year of football as a Buckeye. In a normal, coronavirus-free year, he’d have gone through a final slate of spring practices while trying to capture one of the two open starting cornerback jobs. Instead, camp ended in March after just three practices, forcing everybody out of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

“Just like in life, man, you're going to have challenges and you're going to have to adjust,” Marlon said. “I think Marcus did a great job of adjusting.”

Luckily, as Marlon put it, Marcus is a “stone’s throw” from his family’s home in Westerville. Rather than moving back in with his parents, he’s been able to stay at his apartment with his roommate, who’s a senior on the men’s soccer team.

That’s especially beneficial for his parents, who’ve done their best to keep Marlon’s 78-year-old mother healthy. Since he often works on home projects, Marlon went down to his shop to grab her an n95 mask the moment he found out of COVID-19 gets transmitted. For the rest of his family, he rushed out to buy the last pack of surgical masks he found at a local Kroger.

Marcus’ younger brother, an incoming freshman defensive back at Bowling Green, has moved in with his brother. So whenever either of them returns home, Marlon said, they make sure to keep their distance from their grandmother or wear their mask, doing what they can to maintain proper social distancing.

“Nothing is 100 percent, man, but you can just be smart and try to protect yourself the best you can and the loved ones around you as well,” Marlon said.

Since Marcus and Myles are living together, they’re working out together with the same personal trainer they’ve used for years. As a father, Marlon likes the dynamic, and he also sees the progress in Marcus.

“Really, I don't think he's missing a beat, to tell you the truth,” Marlon said. “I see the maturity with him and really taking ownership with making sure he's getting his rest and taking care of his diet and training and training hard. Because you're going to be able to tell when guys come back who's been training and who hasn't been training. I think we're excited about the future and we're going to go out there and he's going to compete like he always has.

“And I'm just hopeful that we have a season.”

Marlon isn’t alone in that thought. He does, however, have reason to root for it to happen more so than most others.

If the season goes on without a hitch and he’s allowed in the stadium, he’ll get to see Marcus’ Buckeyes take on Myles’ Falcons at Ohio Stadium in the Sept. 5 season opener.

“if they're both on the field at the same time, that's just, I don't know how I'm going to feel at that moment, man, but I know I'm going to be excited,” Marlon said. “We're rooting for them to stay healthy and to keep fighting.”

Just sayin': It's really a good news family story on Marcus. He's definitely a STUDENT-athlete......:nod:
 
Upvote 0


CB: MARCUS WILLIAMSON

Like several other players on this list, Williamson is entering his senior year at Ohio State and does so without having done much to make a name for himself yet in his Buckeye career. As a result, he hasn’t been talked about a ton this offseason even with Ohio State needing to replace three starters in the secondary.

That said, Williamson might well be the frontrunner to start at slot cornerback in 2020, and he’s certainly at least in the mix. With Wade moving outside, the Buckeyes have a big hole to fill inside, and Williamson – who was with the first team at that spot to begin spring – will likely get the first chance to seize that position whenever practices resume this summer.

Sevyn Banks, Cameron Brown and Tyreke Johnson have all been talked about more as potential breakout cornerbacks, and it’s entirely possible Ohio State could move any of them inside to the slot to get them on the field. But Williamson might be the most natural fit in the slot among the Buckeyes’ veteran DBs, and he’ll certainly be motivated to earn that job with only one year of eligibility remaining.
 
Upvote 0


After needing only three years to graduate from Ohio State with an undergraduate degree in History while minoring in English, he’s been accepted into a graduate program in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, his father Marlon Williamson told Eleven Warriors last month. Eventually, once his playing career ends, he plans to attend law school.
.
.
.
“We would have every expectation that every one of those kids that were competing at the front end of spring – Sevyn Banks and Cam Brown and Marcus Hooker and Josh Proctor and Marcus Williamson and Tyreke Johnson – are all gonna have bigger roles,” Coombs said. “I have every expectation of getting a lot of guys on the field.”
 
Upvote 0


CB Marcus Williamson

Somewhat overlooked outside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center despite the intense spotlight on the secondary, Marcus Williamson appears to be much more of a factor in the reload for that unit than might have been projected.

Starting with Kerry Coombs mentioning him in the spring and continuing with Shaun Wade pointing to his improvement this week, the veteran defensive back could blossom into a candidate to fill the vacant job in the slot. Certainly it’s taken some time for Williamson to find a way to make an impact for the Buckeyes, but reuniting with Coombs could be the key to unlock that potential.

 
Upvote 0


48850561283_ec764b59cb_o.jpg


MARCUS WILLIAMSON, CB
After playing just 185 defensive snaps – mostly at the end of blowouts – in his first three seasons at Ohio State, Williamson looked like he might have only one more chance to make his mark in the Buckeyes’ secondary. Williamson didn’t redshirt any of his first three years at Ohio State, so he was entering his final year of eligibility.

Now, though, Williamson has the opportunity to get the redshirt back that he probably should have taken earlier in his career and potentially become a two-year difference-maker on the back end of Ohio State’s defense.

Already a top candidate to be Ohio State’s new starting slot cornerback this fall, Williamson could become the clear-cut frontrunner for that job if Wade doesn’t play in the winter, as that will likely keep Sevyn Banks, Cameron Brown and Tyreke Johnson all playing outside. Given how little he’s played so far in his Ohio State career, though, he might need a full season next fall to improve his stock as an NFL draft prospect.
 
Upvote 0


MARCUS WILLIAMSON, CORNERBACK


  • Says Coombs has "brought a new life" to the secondary. Williamson says he's been around a long time and brings a "culture" to the program.
  • Williamson says he has spent most of his time inside at slot cornerback. Coombs preaches versatility, though, he says, so a lot of guys are bouncing around.
  • Ohio State has worked some of the young guys at nickelback, including Ronnie Hickman and Cameron Martinez.
  • Williamson says he has been able to bring "a lot of football knowledge" to the position since he's a senior cornerback.
  • He says "every year, it seems" he has had changes at his position coach. All of the different coaches, he thinks, have allowed him to build certain skills. On Coombs' return: "It's really rejuvenated me."
  • Coombs "understood my career here hasn't been ideal or hasn't been perfect for myself." He says Coombs came in the first day and told Williamson he's still the same player he once recruited.
  • It might take some time to understand the term "BIA," he says. Coombs harps on the cornerbacks compete against past first-round cornerbacks rather than against each other.
  • Tyreke Johnson is "extremely talented." He says sometimes it's hard to break through at cornerback. "We're really excited for Tyreke. He's been showing great things."
  • "I came in pretty much injury-ridden my first couple years." He says you see the stories of Justin Hilliard and Johnnie Dixon and it's motivating even if his injuries haven't been as bad as theirs. "Having this year, this extra year, it's given me a new lifeblood."
  • Ryan Day and his staff has talked about practicing as a pro without the pads on, he says.
  • He says Coombs has helped players learn how to take their next step.
  • Williamson says all cornerbacks are trying to reach the standard set by Jeff Okudah and others.
  • Williamson says this year has been a "blessing in disguise" because he's had injury-riddled years in the past and now he has an extra season of eligibility.
  • Once pads come on, Williamson says, it's like "having the training wheels come off."
 
Upvote 0
Back
Top