Ole Miss Prospect Profile: Florida WR William Fowles
MIAMI - When a prep wide receiver stands out amongst the talent during Miami Under Armour, regardless of year, that’s one heck of a football player.
Coming off a really good season in which he was credited by Max Preps as having 36 receptions, 807 yards, 22.4 average, and nine touchdowns, he’s become a national recruit. There is going to be a really competitive battle for Fowles’ services. With catches like the following one, it’s understandable:
William Fowles
Size: 6’3”, 203-pounds
Position: Wide Receiver
High School: Miami (Fla.) Dade Christian
Scholarship Offers
The list is growing steadily. Ole Miss, UCF, Florida State, Miami, Florida, USF, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Marshall, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Auburn represent the majority of his offers.
During the month of March, Fowles plans to unofficially visit Louisville and Pittsburgh.
Frame
Long. Very long. Fowles is tall and lengthy to boot. He plays more like a 6’6” player to be frank. He’s strong in his lower half, but Fowles can definitely add girth and end up at 220-pounds without much of a question.
Athleticism
Explosive in and out of his cuts, Fowles plays much more like a slot receiver after leaving the line of scrimmage, as the following video displays:
He’s really good at timing his jump for a back-of-the-end zone reception, or simply making a play on a contest pass any place on the gridiron.
Best Attribute
Separation. Even against the best defensive backs during the Miami Under Armour event, Fowles consistently distanced himself from defensive backs. This became a habit. Once Fowles began to make a hard cut, that’s when he would accelerate almost instantly and leave smaller defensive backs behind. For a larger wide receiver to be that explosive in the open field is truly impressive.
Category to Improve
Like all young receivers, just needs to continue to work on his technique near the line of scrimmage. Once in college, there will be bigger, more experienced cornerbacks that are capable of pressing him and knocking him off his route.
How Fowles Would Fit Into Ole Miss Head Coach Lane Kiffin’s Offense
This is where it’s fun. Fowles can be a boundary receiver that goes one-on-one with top-notch defensive backs and still make plays, but he’s also athletic and specifically nimble enough to play to the wide side of the field and run screens, a multitude of double-move routes and be the featured receiver. In short, Coach Kiffin would likely move Fowles into different spots depending on down and distance.
To win in the SEC West, Ole Miss needs to consistently land wide receivers with the overall skills to be playmakers after the catch. Fowles fits that; his ability to be a boundary receiver adds to his value.
Fowles is the type of receiver that SEC opponents would need to know where he’s at play after play, and Coach Kiffin’s offensive coaching prowess would be exemplified.
Final Thoughts
Fowles is just beginning to come into his own. There really is not a reason to believe he cannot be an All-American by the time he finishes his college career, regardless of where he ends up going.