It would be one thing if a record-setting running back got through college football’s National Signing Day in February without a scholarship offer if he played his high school football in Alaska or South Dakota or Delaware, or some other state that surely has good players, but not in a very large quantity.

But Florida? A state that is on the very shortest list of states that crank out the most elite players every year?

The National Private School Athletic Association’s National Player of the Year as a junior, Jared Williams prides himself on running inside, often by using a stiff-arm to keep would-be tacklers at bay (photo by Williams family).

That is exactly what happened to the newest member of the SMU Mustangs’ 2011 signing class. After claiming the all-time school records for rushing yards (more than 3,800) and touchdowns (55) — in just three seasons — at Bradenton Prep, Jared Williams suddenly found himself without a team just one year after rushing for more than 1,900 yards and 27 touchdowns en route to being named the National Private School Athletic Association’s National Player of the Year. When his school closed, Williams transferred to Bradenton’s Southeast High School, but had to wait until the next-to-last game of the regular season before the Florida High School Athletic Association cleared him to play. Including the playoffs, Williams played in less than five full games, rushing 64 times for 315 yards (4.9 yards per carry).

At first glance, it’s easy to draw comparisons between Williams and another famous runner from Florida. After all, the Southeast Seminoles wear uniforms that are blue and orange, just like those worn by the Florida Gators. Williams even wears jersey No. 22 … but does that make him another Emmitt Smith?

“I’ve heard that a few times,” Williams said, laughing. “But my coaches say I run like Matt Forte.”

Williams is very strong — the 5-foot-9.5-inch, 205-pounder bench pressed 295 pounds and squatted 495 as a junior — but he is a few inches shorter and about a dozen pounds lighter than the Chicago Bears’ tailback. Nonetheless, there are similarities.

“I’m an inside runner,” Williams said. “I love counter plays inside, and reading holes — that’s kind of my specialty. I’m a juke-first kind of back, but I’m kind of big, and I always have my stiff-arm ready.”

Williams is a versatile athlete who played some cornerback and safety, as well as guard in basketball and left field and center field in baseball. He said that while switching high schools as a senior presented unique challenges, the move put him in an offense that he thinks prepared him better for the Run-and-Shoot in which he’ll play at SMU.

“We played a Pro-I offense at Bradenton Prep,” he said, “and more of a spread offense at Southeast, where we were kind of a zone team that throws the ball around. The SMU offense compares more to spread we ran at Southeast, because it’s a one-back system with the receivers spread out.

That a runner of Williams’ stature was available when SMU offered him a scholarship this month is remarkable, and largely a result of him getting lost in the shuffle when Bradenton Prep shut down and him sitting out most of the season at his new school.

“It was very hard,” Williams said of watching his new team while awaiting approval from the FHSAA to take the field with his new team. “I wanted to play, but until I got cleared, I couldn’t even work out. I felt like I wasn’t a part of the team. I felt alone, like I was not part of the brotherhood. So I just waited — that’s all I could do. But then, when I got cleared, I got connected (with the Seminoles). I got in the system and started learning plays.

“It was the same way when I didn’t get any Div. I offers — I just waited. I was disappointed that I didn’t get any offers, but I had a Div. III offer to Wheaton (Ill.) College, and I was ready to take it. But I have kind of a mentor in Texas, a former coach, and he talked to college coaches in Texas. He gave them my highlight film, and when SMU offered me a scholarship, I was very happy. As soon as they did, other schools like Grambling State, Sam Houston State, New Mexico and Indiana started calling, but I told them I was going to SMU.”

At SMU, Williams will join a backfield that includes first-team All-Conference USA honoree Zach Line, who lapped the field with a league-high 1,494 yards before sitting out the Ponies’ spring workouts while healing from a back injury he suffered during his sophomore season. Behind Line, however, the running back rotation for the 2011 season is unclear. Darryl Fields is transferring, and Kevin Pope has been moved to linebacker, meaning Williams will join senior-to-be Bryce Lunday and incoming true freshman K.C. Nlemchi in the backfield with Line.

“(The SMU coaches) just told me to come in ready, because you never know what’s going to happen.” Williams said. “I’ve got to learn the playbook, but once I get that down, hopefully I’ll have a chance to play.

“Whatever they want me to do, I’ll do — I’m not a big believer in arguing with coaches. Wherever they decide to play me, I’m ready. I just want to get out on the field and play football.”