This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Williams & Williams & More Williamses will have a lot to say about the success or failure of the 2016 college football season in Utah.

Much like the law firms, real estate experts, nametag manufacturer and funeral home named Williams & Williams around the country, a bunch of players named Williams will play valuable roles in their programs. Will they fulfill the promise of "superstar service," like Williams & Williams Realtors of Denton, Texas? Will they remain "committed to your satisfaction," like Williams & Williams Funeral Home of Savannah, Ga.?

Fans sure hope so. As the season unfolds, the most interesting Williams & Williams to watch in this state will play for rival schools: Troy, the Utah quarterback, and Jamaal, the BYU running back.

That's partly because Marcus, the Utah all-conference safety, and Joe, the Ute running back, proved enough last season to answer any questions about their potential impact in 2016.

Troy and Jamaal are different stories, at the moment. The Utes' new QB has one game of starting experience in the Pac-12, and his debut for Washington against Arizona State in the rain in Seattle in 2014 did not go well. BYU's running back should become the school's career rushing leader sometime in November, but he has not carried the football in a game since injuring his knee at Middle Tennessee on Nov. 1, 2014 — a week after Troy Williams' 24-10 loss to the Sun Devils.

The struggles of Utah's passing game in five years of Pac-12 membership were not entirely Travis Wilson's fault. Yet the new T.W. in town is expected to give the Utes the kind of quarterback play they've lacked since the middle of the 2010 season, when they were unbeaten until Jordan Wynn's shoulder problems initially surfaced.

Troy Williams has made a very good impression with his throwing ability and leadership, and he just might be the dynamic QB who elevates Utah's offense in the Pac-12. If that happens, Joe Williams will become even effective, with opposing defenses no longer preoccupied with stopping the run.

He ran for 399 yards in his three starts against UCLA, Colorado and BYU after Devontae Booker was injured last year, projecting to 1,729 yards over a 13-game season. Maintaining that pace is unlikely, because Utah wants more offensive balance and Troy McCormick and other backs will get some carries. But as long he avoids fumbling, Joe Williams will get a lot of work.

So will Jamaal Williams. BYU's quarterbacking will be more than adequate, with Taysom Hill backed up by Tanner Mangum. The variable is Williams, who withdrew from school prior to the 2015 season. Offensive coordinator Ty Detmer wants to run the ball, and Williams is the featured back. The ability of Williams and BYU's offensive line to thrive against Power 5 opponents is critical to the Cougars.

Joe Williams and Jamaal Williams would do well to match the 2012 performance of Utah State running back Kerwynn Williams, who rushed for 1,512 yards during an 11-2 season on his way to the NFL. The asterisk is that Williams was running against defenses in a weakened Western Athletic Conference, in the last season of WAC football competition.

Williams' brother, Kennedy, is now an Aggie receiver and Anthony Williams is a USU linebacker. So that adds up to six Williamses playing for Utah's three FBS schools. Williams is by far the most common name in Utah Jazz franchise history, dating to the New Orleans era: Aaron, Deron, Duck, Elliot, Freeman, Marvin, Mo, Nate and Rickey.

Deron was the only All-Star in a Jazz uniform, among those nine players. The Utes and Cougars need Troy, Marcus, Joe and Jamaal to perform at D-Will's level — or at least meet the standards of the "exceptional and cost-efficient" Williams & Williams law firm in Bakersfield, Calif., and the "respected, responsive" work of the Williams & Williams attorneys in Orangeburg, S.C.

Those are the expectations for all of the football-playing Williamses in Utah, as they try to live up to the advertising.

Twitter: @tribkurt