Charlie Campbell
Utah 28, BYU 20
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As we reported in the Hot Press recently, the 2027 NFL Draft is not a deep year for offensive line and offensive tackle talent. However, one prospect who is rising this season with impressive play is Utah left tackle Zereoue Williams. At roughly 6-foot-8, 305-pound Williams is a giant blocker, and Utah has been fortunate to have him after losing Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu to the NFL. BYU has some quality defensive linemen to test Williams.
In the first quarter, Williams was dominating while the Utes offense exploded to quickly put a big lead on the Cougars. Williams was showing the ability to sustain his blocks with good leverage and knee bend to absorb bull rushes. While BYU got back in the game thanks to some Utah turnovers, none of them were the result of a missed block by Williams. In the third quarter, Williams was giving up some ground in a bull rush as the defender got into his chest, but Williams held him off long enough for the Utes quarterback to throw a touchdown pass that put Utah in the lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Williams had an excellent block to open up a gap for his quarterback to have a rushing touchdown on a third-and-goal. Overall, he had a good game, showing good pass protection for his quarterback, and he was solid as a run blocker.
For the NFL, Williams looks like a starting edge blocker who could play left or right tackle. Williams is big and moves well for his size. He has quick feet for a giant tackle and is capable of getting depth in his drop. He does a nice job of sinking his weight versus bull rushes, and Williams uses his length to sustain blocks. Williams uses his length to tie up ends, and a strong hand punch to keep them from gaining momentum. Williams could stand to improve his hand placement and not expose his chest to defenders. He can also overextend sometimes, and that leads to him reaching after rushers. As a run blocker, staying low and not standing up too high is important for him to be able to generate a push. Williams needs development, but he could be a starter at a premium position so going in the back half of the first round looks very feasible.
