Dwight Williams is a known player. He’s got all the skills that you want in a linebacker for a program and his offer list is proof of that. He’s worked hard to build up on an impressive list, but now the Gardena Serra (Calif.) athlete is breaking things down a bit.
He talked to us about his recruitment.
Who was his first offer? “My first offer was Colorado.”
Dwight Williams Official Junior Highlights
Williams looks for a lot of things in a program, but preparation is a major focal point for him when it comes to the next level. “You want to know what players and what programs are getting their players prepared for the league and how they do after they get into the league. You want to follow up and see how long they last or if they’re getting bounced around from team to team. It shows you about the coaching and whether or not they were prepared to be at that level.”
When asked what factors would play in his decision, Williams answered “I would say early playing time is number two. Number one is education.”
Recently, Williams narrowed his list down to 16 teams and here’s what he has to say about each one.
Arizona State
– “I like the way their defense flew around last year and I like the way the coaching staff approached me early. They were offer number four. Early playing time, they talk about that all the time.”
Cal
– “It’s home and it’s at California Berkeley and the education up there is amazing and I have a couple friends that play on that team. They said it’s the same defense that we kind of run at Serra. I think they run a 4-3. They would give me an opportunity to run around a lot more.”
Clemson
– “It’s in the ACC. They’re one of the best teams in the ACC. The environment out there is like a family. I know Sammy Watson is there right now and we talk on Twitter and I know a couple of guys that have taken visits.”
Florida
– “They keep telling me about the great conference. Coach DJ Durkin talks to me about the school like the use Jelani Jenkins. I want to see it for myself so I’m taking a visit out there. I know it’s crazy. They said the stadium is packed at the Swamp, I could just imagine.”
Georgia – “My grandma’s from Georgia and it’s kind of like a second home. I got out there every summer. Coach Alwadawdi, and Coach Wilson are recruiting me. Coach Wilson always sends me letters and they send me pictures of Ogletree and they say that’s who I’ll be like if I go there.”
Miami
– “Miami sounds great. Ray Lewis, he came from there, He’s one of the greatest players to ever play football. Just that alone is attractive.”
Dwight Williams: 2 INTs in CIF Playoffs
Michigan
– “The tradition up there is great. They always put out great linebackers, as well. The fans are crazy and just the environment alone. They’ve won the most games in college football. They said it’s nothing like that on the planet. They said they have the biggest stadium in college football and every home game it’s filled.”
Oklahoma
– “The Sooners, I like Coach Kish, he’s the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He’s close friends with Chris Claiborne, my 7v7 coach. They’re going to be losing 2 linebackers and they have two open spots, He said I can come in and play right away. I could see myself fitting in there. I’m trying to come out and be on the field as early as possible.”
Oklahoma State
– “Eric Henderson is recruiting me and Coach Spencer. They always tell me that I can come in and make an immediate impact on their program. They said they haven’t gone after guys that can make immediate impact. They said that this year if they land me, they want to start going after the number one guys. It’s not too many schools. Some schools say it, but some really mean it. It feels great to feel really wanted by a program.”
Ole Miss
- “I talked to Coach Freeze not too long ago, I usually talk to coach Tom Allen, the linebackers coach. He said I could be like Patrick Willis. I get to play behind Robert Nkemdiche. He said I could be like Willis. He was really athletic and he said I fit that style of play.”
Oregon
– “I like the speed and the way they use their personnel. Kind of like Dion Jordan, they know he can blitz and run. They know how to move people around and use them well.”
Oregon State
– “I like those guys a lot. First of all, they were my second offer. They came in the picture really, really early. They had a camp at Cal State Fullerton and they loved how I worked out. They just recently sent me 102 letters all hand-written. The coach told me that if I go there I can get #7. They like to blitz their linebackers and I can blitz around the outside.”
Tennessee
– “Their linebacker coach was recruiting me at Auburn and then he moved to Tennessee. Coach Thigpen. He told me to call him and they offered me. I got a friend up there, Byron Moore (corner).”
UCLA
– “I don’t think there’s a better coaching staff put together. They have over 120 years of experience. Most of them have won Super Bowl rings. It’s a place that I’ve got to go up there and see. I know that it’s like up there.”
USC
– “They came up to the school, but I was gone. The coach said that was the whole point of them coming up to the school. He said that I wasn’t there so they pointed out some guys who would be good for the future for them.”
Washington
– “It’s on the West Coast. My cousin went there and played basketball. Jamaal Williams. I met Nate Robinson up there, Brandon Roy. I know that environment up there. I like it a lot. I like Coach Sherman and Coach Sarkisian. They also came in kind of early."
Williams is setting up visits and Florida and Michigan could be two of those.
Where Williams ends up is unknown at the moment, but we will continue to give you updates as he narrows down his list even more.
