During the college football transfer portal season, it can be difficult to learn that nothing is official unless the paper is put to the test. Until an agreement is completed, these players are verbally committed.
When AAC offensive freshman of the year Joseph Williams committed to the Utes early in the portal cycle, Utah believed it had a crucial offensive component to build upon in the receiving game. On the surface, the wide receivers’ numbers weren’t very striking. Williams averaged 19.6 yards per catch and had 30 receptions for 588 yards, but he also had five touchdowns.
He had three games with more than 100 receiving yards and accomplished all of that in just seven games. According to On3, Williams has reportedly made the decision to stay in the Big 12 but join the Colorado Buffaloes, only days after verbally committing to Utah. It’s difficult to criticize a gifted wide receiver for picking Colorado over Utah. It has been more than ten years since the Utes had a 1,000-yard receiver, with Dres Anderson’s 1,003 yards in 2013. There is a clear contrast between that and Colorado’s offence under Deion Sanders in terms of whether program is more offensively suited to Williams’ skill set.
Playmakers for the Buffs were Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who had 1,152 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns, and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who is expected to be selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Both of those players are leaving Colorado, but Sanders is beginning to establish a reputation for having a potent offence and nurturing young players. During Kyle Whittingham’s time at the University of Utah, Utah has had difficulty finding a position with a top-tier offence and great wide receivers. Williams may be a major loss for this Utah squad, but nobody can hold it against him for choosing to attend a different offense-focused institution.
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