Texas A&M Football: Denial of RB Brandon Williams' Waiver Shouldn't Be a Shock

The status of Texas A&M transfer running back Brandon Williams became clear late Wednesday night, and it wasn't good news for the Aggies.

Williams, a 6'0", 192-pound transfer from the University of Oklahoma, had his waiver to be eligible immediately denied by the NCAA, according to Brent Zwerneman of MySanAntonio.com. He transfered from Norman to College Station to be closer to his Brookshire, Texas home.

“We appreciate the NCAA’s consideration of our appeal in the case of Brandon Williams,” Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. “We knew this was a possibility and Brandon will continue to work out with our team and help our team get better. We look forward to him playing in maroon and white in 2013.

Williams rushed for 219 yards on 46 carries last season for the Sooners, and was a 5-star recruit out of high school in the Class of 2011, according to 247Sports.com.

It's a big blow for the Aggies, but not one that should come as a shock.

The fact that it took so long for the process to come to a conclusion allowed Sumlin and his staff to prepare for life with Williams and for life without him. Having a stable to go to—especially one that included Williams—would have been a nice insurance policy for Sumlin as the first-year coach guides his program through the transition to the SEC.

Christine Michael will likely start out as the feature running back for the Aggies, and he is healthy for the first time in a long time. He has 2,374 yards and 22 touchdowns during his first three seasons in College Station, and when he's healthy he can be a top tier SEC running back.

But it's not just Michael that will carry the load.

True freshman Trey Williams has been wowing coaches during fall camp, and will likely serve as the lightning to Michael's thunder in 2012. The 5'8", 185-pounder was a fellow 5-star recruit, and can be the home run hitter for the Aggies.

Throw junior Ben Malena in the mix, and Texas A&M has options in its backfield even without Brandon Williams.

Williams' waiver being denied hurts, because he has boat loads of potential. But since it happened so close to the season, it shouldn't come as a shock to A&M or its stable of capable running backs.

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