New Bears on the Block: Cal RS Frosh Portal Transfer RB Justin Williams-Thomas
The Bears made a big pickup in the early signing period with the addition of former Tennessee redshirt frosh running back Justin Williams-Thomas in December.
After the departure of backup running backs Damien Moore, DeCarlos Brooks and Chris Street, Williams-Thomas was joined by Oregon transfer Byron Cardwell, Montana State grad transfer Isaiah Ifanse and Purdue grad transfer King Doerue for the 2023 season.
The 6-0/215 RB had a stellar prep career, running for 3,264 yards and 30 touchdowns over his final two seasons, earning county player of the year with East Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia.
Williams is regularly asked if he’s from Texas coming from a city named Georgia, as one would expect.
"I do," Williams-Thomas said with a smile. "I choose to say Dallas, Georgia is not the real Dallas, Dallas, Texas is the real Dallas. Dallas, Georgia, in my opinion, we've got some good ballplayers out there. But I mean, I love it. It's a great area, very big football area. It's around a half hour from Atlanta. Powder Springs is minutes right down the road."
At Tennessee, Williams-Thomas saw the field a bit as a true frosh, playing in three games, carrying the ball 11 times for 37 yards.
"It was awesome, Williams-Thomas said. "Just learning from it, growing in each game, just the knowledge that I took from being there and just expanding my game from high school to college. I learned so much. I'm so appreciative of just how much I've learned not just from not from that stuff but just the players and teammates. My game just came a long way, not in terms of on the field, but just learning different coverages and different fronts, all that type of stuff, just learning the game, just expanding my knowledge a lot."
When it came down to decision time, what made Cal the best choice for the talented Georgia RB?
"Just life after football, and then just having football, the academic success off the field, you know, that was the thing that geared me and then playing football here, like you get the best of both worlds the former 4 star prep said. "I just felt like Cal was just a happy medium for me. I felt like I could be successful here and strive to be my best. So that's honestly what made me decide on Cal."
With his commitment in December, Williams-Thomas had a chance to get acclimated academically before the season and also learn the playbook in the spring.
"Oh, it was pretty smooth," Williams-Thomas said. "Honestly, if you just apply yourself, it's not too challenging. You're gonna have times where you're gonna have a lot of homework. You're gonna be doing workouts. After practice, you're gonna have homework, but you know, you find time. You've just gotta learn time management. And once you do that, you'll be pretty pretty much smooth."
The time spent with the team this spnng helped his acclimation process
"Man, honestly, just taking all the mental reps, really just learning different plays and just learning the system,” Williams-Thomas noted as his biggest takeaways from spring ball. “Just soaking everything up. It was just really a great experience all around, just getting into this new offense and how versatile it is. I really just enjoyed like soaking everything up last spring,"
Running backs coach Aristotle Thompson was also another big factor in Williams-Thomas’s decision to head west to Cal.
"My relationship with Coach AT is second to none," Williams-Thomas noted. "He's a great guy. I mean, in terms of our room, great guys. We feed off of one another, great competition, each offering something to the table. So I mean, I feel like our room is very talented. I feel like our room is gonna be very special this year."
Cal’s new offense under new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital also has the new RB excited for this season.
"I love it, "Williams-Thomas said. "The offense is firing all cylinders. The tempo was great. I mean, I feel like the offense has the potential to be very, very special. Just from seeing what we've done in the spring, and stuff like that. This offense has a lot of potential and it's gonna be something special."
Williams-Thomas was clearly enjoying his time this spring, always offering a smile, words of encouragement and a slap on the back for his teammates.
“Honestly, just playing with my teammates, me and my brothers,” Williams-Thomas noted as being some of the things he’s most looking forward to this season. “For me, just being able to contribute in any way I can possible. Just do anything I can to help the team win."
The talented RB was out for the spring with an injury but is walking with no limp this summer. He made no promises about whether he’d be full go for fall camp or not.
"I've just been taking it one day at a time," Williams-Thomas said. "I just feel like whenever I get back, I'll be able to contribute whenever and however I can.
“Go Bears!”
Related:
Bears Add Tennessee Portal Transfer RB Justin Williams-Thomas
New Bears on the Block: RS Frosh Portal WR Marquez Dortch