Ishaq Williams is doing exactly what Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly expected from the prized sophomore.
“I will say this, the expectations have been high and he is starting to meet those,” Kelly said at a press conference Tuesday leading up to Saturday afternoon’s game against Purdue in South Bend. “He is nowhere near where he needs to be. It has to be a consistent thing for him but he’s making good progress.”
The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Williams, an outside linebacker, had four tackles, including three solos, and a forced fumble in Notre Dame’s 50-10 beating of Navy in Ireland last weekend. The former Abraham Lincoln star also stripped Navy quarterback Trey Miller to lead to teammate Stephon Tuitt’s 77-yard fumble return for a score.
“He’s grown up.” Kelly said. “He’s a kid; Brooklyn, New York he’s in a very dynamic atmosphere where on a day to day basis, he’s got to bring his ‘A’ game, in the classroom, in the dorms, in the football program.”
Kelly said he envisioned performances like that watching Williams in spring games and credited defensive coordinator Bob Diaco for the job he’s done mentioning him. He is now looking to see his progress continue, but feels he has shown enough improvement to be on the field in pass rush situations. Williams, who was a defensive end at Lincoln, appeared in 11 games last year as a reserve linebacker, recording just six tackles.
“You want to see them take that next step,” Kelly said. “I think we are seeing him take that next step.”