On Tuesday afternoon, three-star 2020 ILB Mister Williams of Westlake Village, Calif. committed to Colorado, becoming the 23rd commit in Mel Tucker's first recruiting class at Colorado.
In his interview with CUSportsNation, Williams attributed his decision to a successful OV that opened his eyes as to what will be in store for him at the University of Colorado, on and off the gridiron.
Williams committing to Colorado checked a major positional box off for the Buffs as they round out their Class of 2020, which to the point of before Williams' verbal pledge, lacked a strict ILB.
CU most definitely is getting just that in the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Williams, who out of high school appears to fit the bill quite well for someone looking like a major defensive contributor of the future for the Buffs.
Williams OV'd to Boulder in the Buffaloes' 2019 home finale vs. Washington, and came away from his time in town and on campus pretty sold, and perhaps fairly said, pleasantly surprised.
"What led me to picking Colorado was that (it) fell into my big three, I guess you could call it: education, family and football," Williams said. "When I say family, I mean how I feel there. I feel like that’s another family. I gelled well with a lot of the staff and players. When I took my OV I was seeing how the place is and wasn’t expecting too much out of there, but while I was there, I fell in love."
In terms of academics, Williams said that he was attracted to Colorado's Leeds School of Business, and wants to major in financing, business management or "somewhere in that area."
But getting back to the gridiron, Williams said he felt a strong bond with his primary recruiter, Buffs' ILBs coach Ross Els.
“Coach Els, from the day I met him, he’s always been fired up," Williams said. "There’s never a dull moment when you’re with him, even if you’re just hanging out he’s trying to talk some football. He’s just a great person overall. I love the energy he has and the energy he brings with his players and to the game — I love it.”
Els and the Buffaloes no doubt have acquired a unique asset in Williams. He plays on both sides of the ball for Oaks Christian in Westlake Village, Calif. Interestingly, he plays tailback for the Lions, something that has no doubt helped him add another element to his game and football IQ.
“I feel like my intellect and physical ability allow me to read holes as quick as I do," he said. "Since I play running back, I know what I’m looking for on offense, so I basically do the same thing on the defensive side. It helps me all the time."
"Looking back at some of my film, people have asked me ‘how did you know that hole was going to open’ or ‘how’d you read this or that?’ I think a lot of it comes from playing running back. It’s played a huge developmental role in me learning and playing linebacker. On defense, I’m looking at ‘what would I do to stop myself?’ and just go from there."
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While he was in Boulder, CB Chris Miller served as his player host and he also got a chance to meet fellow CB Mekhi Blackmon while mingling with his future positional comrades.
"I had a great time with Chris and I also met Mekhi Blackmon," he said. "I met all the linebackers and sat in on a couple of meetings with them. It was good to meet them — they’re really supportive guys. They know what they’re doing and they love what they’re doing. That’s what I loved about walking in there.”
As for the man in charge, Williams provided a solid review of Tucker.
“I love what he’s doing," Williams said. "(He’s) such a great defensive guy and a head coach...he’s really relatable and just a figure I look up to.”
Williams plans to sign a NLI this December and will enroll at Colorado for the Fall 2020 semester.