4-Star RB Trayveon Williams to TCU: 'I Feel at Home There'

TCU had a monumental 2014 season, which concluded with a 12-1 record, a No. 3 national ranking and a convincing win against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl.

The success has been parlayed into recruiting victories, as the Horned Frogs entered Friday with nine commits. On Friday evening, they picked up No. 10 in Houston C.E. King High School running back Trayveon Williams.

A 4-star running back, Williams chose TCU over Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Houston. He is the Horned Frogs' first running back commit, and TCU will welcome in the nation's No. 6 all-purpose back.

The commitment was the second in three days for a TCU squad that was stuck on eight pledges for three months before 3-star linebacker Clifton Lewis—another Houston-area athlete—committed on Wednesday. For weeks, Williams said he wavered on his final decision, weighing all five of his options equally at times.

"My mind was in a five-way tug-of-war," Williams said. "I felt strongly for different schools before I made my decision."

Credit: 247Sports

What won TCU over, Williams said, was the relationships built with the coaching staff. Williams is in constant contact with running backs coach Curtis Luper, and he has a healthy respect for head coach Gary Patterson and co-offensive coordinators Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie.

"With TCU, I feel at home there," Williams said. "They have a good coaching staff, and they're doing some real good things. Coach P [Patterson] has been there for so long, and there's no doubt he's going to be there a lot longer. That was one thing about it all."

So what will the Horned Frogs get out of Williams? They'll get a player who possesses quickness, great feet and an ability to separate himself from defenders in the open field. He’s a fast, savvy back who depends on his field vision and his overall skill-position IQ to extend plays.

Additionally, Williams is a player who can make catches out of the backfield. He will give TCU another reliable weapon in passing downs.

Williams had a commitment announcement date set for Friday last week, but it wasn't until Wednesday that he was 100 percent certain where he wanted to go. He said all five schools on his short list had plenty to offer.

One thing that seemed to cloud his decision was the sudden rise of recruiting at the University of Houston. After the Cougars picked up the in-city duo of 5-star defensive tackle Ed Oliver and 4-star defensive tackle Jordan Elliott, Williams said joining the "H-Town Takeover," as the Houston faithful are calling it, was tempting.

"It's crazy, because when Coach [Tom] Herman came, you saw changes," he said. "They caught me by storm, especially when Ed [Oliver] committed. It was something to think about and be a part of."

Williams added that he was a fan of Texas A&M's facilities and fanbase, Texas' coaching staff and organization and Oklahoma's tradition and history with producing talented running backs. But when it was time to make a decision, he said the player-to-coach relationship TCU provided was the X-factor.

"I like the facilities, but it was the coaches; you have to get along with the ones coaching you the next few years," Williams said. "I'm looking forward to being a part of it."

Williams had a solid sophomore campaign but then had a breakout junior season for C.E. King. After rushing for nearly 1,100 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore, he more than doubled his output as a junior, finishing with 2,391 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. Williams also caught 20 passes for 411 yards and five scores.

Williams had more than 20 reported offers overall. Among those that didn't make his top five were Nebraska, Missouri, Arizona State, Texas Tech and Kansas State.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles