Gavin Williams transitions from ‘young guy’ to leader in Iowa’s running backs room

IOWA CITY — In Gavin Williams’ first two years in Iowa City, he watched the veteran running backs’ “great detail in preparation.”

“I would watch film, watch practice,” the redshirt freshman running back said.

But as he looked over at more experienced guys like Ivory Kelly-Martin and Tyler Goodson, he took notice of “the way they would take each game week on.”

“Studying the linebackers, studying the defense,” Williams said. “Trying to find little tendencies — ‘OK, these linebackers like to play heavy when they see inside zone, or power or whatever.’”

Now with Goodson and Kelly-Martin gone, Williams is working to be that leader in the running backs room.

After not starting the 2021 season with a spot on Iowa’s depth chart, Williams starts the 2022 spring season as the first-team running back.

“I’m not the young guy anymore,” Williams said. “Now people are looking up to me. … It took me a while to comprehend all that.”

Williams emerged as Iowa’s second running back option in 2021 after Kelly-Martin was plagued with another injury, and the redshirt freshman remained the second option even after Kelly-Martin was healthy.

The Altoona native had at least 10 carries in four of Iowa’s last six games, including the Big Ten championship game and Citrus Bowl.

With Goodson opting out of the bowl game as he began preparations for the NFL Draft, Williams had a breakout performance in Iowa’s 20-17 loss to Kentucky.

He rushed for 98 yards on 16 carries — both career-highs — with an efficient 6.1 yards per carry. Fellow running back Leshon Williams, meanwhile, moved into the secondary role and had 10 carries for 42 yards in Orlando.

The pre-bowl practices, along with Goodson’s decision to opt out of the game, allowed Gavin Williams to be “getting into the groove” with the first-team offensive unit months ahead of the first spring practice of 2022.

“Last year, I spent most of my time getting reps with the twos, and it was just a little slower than with the ones,” Williams said.

The career-best performance — and the pre-bowl opportunities associated with it — came with the sour aftertaste of a disappointing loss, though.

“It was a tough loss,” Williams said. “It was on my mind for a week, week-and-a-half after that. ‘What could I have done better to make something happen?’”

Now, it’s Williams’ turn to be the one showing “great detail in preparation” in front of the younger running backs.

“So then one day when me and Leshon are gone, it’s going to be their show,” Gavin Williams said. “Trying to get them on the same page as us will help our room as a whole, and then it’ll help the future.”

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