Stanford has been on Kyren Williams’ mind since he was a freshman at St. John Vianney (St. Louis) and watched the Cardinal’s Christian McCaffrey terrorize defenses with his all-purpose skill set. Williams received an offer from Stanford Thursday during a phone call with Stanford running backs coach Ron Gould.

“It was big because I know that Stanford runs the ball. Bryce Love just passed Christian McCaffrey this year and they had Christian before Bryce,” Williams said. “They’re known for that and it’s a good fit for me, for sure.”

Williams attended the June 20 camp on The Farm and Gould zeroed in on the Missouri native because of his explosive athleticism and ability to also affect the game as a receiver.

“When I left the camp in June, Coach Gould told me that I’m a guy he wants to coach. We kept in contact and kept building a relationship. He always told me, ‘Trust in me because we’re going to get you the offer, but be patient.’ They finally pulled the trigger, and I expect our relationship to get stronger after this, because he told me he’s going to be here probably every two weeks to see me at school. It’s definitely going to get stronger from there.”

For several months Stanford’s only 2019 running back offer has been to Rivals No. 2 overall prospect Quavaris Crouch. Williams appears to be a different type of back at first glance comparison with the imposing 6-3, 220-pound Crouch, who has garnered Leonard Fournette comparisons.

Williams has a special ability to make people miss, but he enjoys the hitting part of football, too. That comes from working with his father, Larry, from a young age and playing linebacker despite his smaller stature.

“I was always the kid who would hit somebody,” Kyren said. “I’ve always had that built inside me because that’s what he put in me in practice. I’ve always been physical since a young age. I feel like if I make that big hit then everybody on the team is going to try to make a bigger hit the next play. If I set the tone for everybody then we’re all going to be good.”

Some college coaches think Williams can play any of three positions -- running back, receiver or safety -- and his high school head coach, Paul Day, agrees. Day has watched Williams since he was a 14 year old who forced his way onto the field his freshman year on varsity.

“As a freshman he came in and was very dynamic … which is pretty rare because there’s such a big difference in maturity. But he was dynamite and a physical kid then. He’s a great worker and a very, very humble kid,” Day said.

“There really is no limit to what you can put on his plate. He’s going to excel. He has played safety and on offense he has played everywhere. There’s a lot he can do and it seems like no matter what it is he does it well.”

Williams was primarily a slot receiver as a freshman, but he prefers running back and put in a lot of work in the weight room during the summer before his sophomore year.

His performance his freshman year out of his natural position caught the attention of college coaches. The fact that he has been a recruit since he was 14 leaves Day feeling confident the process won’t be too much for Williams to handle.

"I think it was harder handling it when he was a freshman,” he said. “When you’re 14 years old and people are asking (about Williams) and coming around -- some of the things people said about him -- that’s harder than when you’re 18. He has been doing this now for a couple years. He has always been a confident kid but very humble, so this won’t affect him at all.

"He’s just a great person. He works hard and doesn’t concern himself with outside noise. He cares about the people around him.”

Williams isn’t ready to think about recruiting in terms of top schools or favorites. He plans to visit Stanford again during the summer and this time focus on the football program. His first trip made a very positive impression about life away from football.

“What really caught my attention was the campus. All the different places they took us while we visited there … it was unreal to see all of what is happening at Stanford. It’s just crazy,” he said.