Name: McKinley Williams
Position: Defensive Tackle
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 294
Hometown: Miramar, Fla.
High School: Dillard High School
2016 Stats: He started one game at nose tackle, and played in all 12 for the Syracuse Orange. Williams had 14 tackles on the season, including 2.5 for loss (one sack).
2017 Projections: No one really moves in front of him (Kayton Samuels and Chris Slayton are still on the team), but Williams’s significant weight gain should help him see a lot more snaps and become a bigger factor in stopping the run for a team that struggled to do so last season.
How'd He Get Here?: Williams picked the Orange over offers from Pittsburgh (ha!), Middle Tennessee and Idaho. A weird mix of schools, to be honest. But we’re happy to have him.
What'd Recruiting Sites Say?: Scout was cool and said three stars, while others said two. We only care about Scout in this scenario.
Money Quote: Assistant athletics director Sean Edinger liked what he saw from McKinley this offseason. "I'm like, 'What did your momma do when you were home? You look like (Chris) Slayton all of a sudden,' only Slayton walked in looking like a grown-ass war daddy as well."
Twitterfeed: @PoppaBearrr3
Tweets Of Wonder: Michael Phelps is the best swimmer ever, so this is big if true.
I'm Michael Phelps with the swim moves.
— Bear (@PoppaBearrr3) April 1, 2017
What movie would Dino Babers recommend for him?: 2012 documentary-style film End of Watch, with Jake Gyllenhaal. The police-focused film features a character named Williams, played by actor McKinley Freeman.
Interesting Nugget O'Interest: Williams is one of three players from Dillard High School on the football team this year. The others are QB Mo Hasan and defensive end Kenneth Ruff.
Let's Get A Good Look Atcha: