A Dee-Licious Re-Commit

Butler Community College wideout Dee Williams (6-3, 205, 4.4) joins Dardanelle offensive lineman Matt Hall (6-10, 320) as 2008 grid commits for the University of Arkansas.

With a banner freshman season behind him at Butler County Community College, former Ashdown wideout Dee Williams was bound to get a lot of attention from major college football recruiters.

But Williams (6-3, 205, 4.4) only covets attention from one and that is why the 2006 University of Arkansas signee decided over the weekend to make it clear once again he is only interested in being a Razorback.

“I was talking to my old high school coach (Todd Ledford) and he said ‘Dee, you better get ready because they are all going to be coming after you again,’” Williams said. “I told him I don’t want that to happen. They can talk to me all they want but they need to know I am going to be a Razorback and nothing is going to change that.”

Thus Williams - who was in Fayetteville this past weekend to watch the Tyson Invitational track meet – made it clear to the UA staff that he was solidly committed after catching 20 passes for 286 yards and 1 touchdown at Butler last season.

Williams is the second 2008 commitment for the Razorbacks and joins Dardanelle offensive lineman Matt Hall (6-10, 320) as verbal pledges to sign with Arkansas next February.

“There’s no need for any of these college coaches to think I am going anywhere else but Arkansas,” Williams said. “Now I can just continue to concentrate on getting better and being the best Razorback I can be when I get there.”

Butler tailback Brandon Barnett, the former Texarkana standout, rushed for 1,056 yards and 14 touchdowns this season and signed with Arkansas again last week after a 11-1 season that saw BCCC win the Jayhawk Conference and finish third nationally.

Williams signed with Arkansas after a senior season at Ashdown in which he had 67 catches for 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns.

“I did that in a running offense in high school,” Williams said. “Everybody likes to talk about what kind of offense Arkansas needs to be running and all this and that, but if you show up and can make plays, they will get the ball to you enough. I mean just look at Marcus Monk."

Williams talked to Monk this weekend while in Fayetteville.

“Marcus was the one who showed me around when I came up here on my recruiting trip and I have a lot of respect for him a player and a man,” Williams said. “He’s always had great things to say about Arkansas and how he has been treated.”

However, Williams does not look at himself as another Monk.

“Marcus is a great wide receiver, but really his game is more vertical than mine,” Williams said. “I think I will come there and catch a lot more short routes, go over the middle more, make the tough catches and get yards after them. I hope I can be as good as he is one day, but we are definitely different.”

Williams – one of seven wideouts Arkansas signed in the 2007 class – had hoped to be on campus for this past season, but he didn’t make the necessary ACT score.

He ended up an open tryout for Butler County, which can only have 10 out-of-state players.

“I showed up and Brandon Barnett said ‘coach you need to give him a chance to show you what he can do and you won’t be sorry,’” Williams said. “He did although I had no idea what the play was. He said just to run this route and I did and caught two touchdown passes. The next thing I know I am not only on the 55-man roster, but I am first team.”

He ended up catching the 20 passes while splitting time.

“Those are not bad numbers at all when you consider that a lot of freshman don’t even get to play their first year at Butler,” Williams said. “But my coach said I was too good to sit out last season and could maybe help win a national championship.”