4-star EJ Williams will commit Saturday from list of 4 teams
Four-star wide receiver EJ Williams will announce his decision on Saturday afternoon at 2 pm ET at Central High School in Phenix City, Ala.
He has been waiting for this day for a long time and he will honor his late father with his commitment.
Over two dozen schools offered Williams, but he has narrowed it down to four: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and LSU. The Crimson Tide is up against three different Tigers in this race.
Williams gave the latest to Rivals.com earlier in the week, saying that his mind was made up over a week ago. Who will it be? Will he stay in state, will he go to an out-of-state SEC school, or will he head to an ACC school that has won two of the last three national championships?
We will ask those who cover the four finalists to get their opinions on where things stand.
MORE: Does Georgia lead for 5-star? | Will Clemson steal NC State legacy?
ALABAMA
"Williams is one of the top players in the state of Alabama. He hasn't taken many trips to Tuscaloosa in the last six months despite continuing to name Alabama on his short list of favorites. Alabama has a trio of wide receiver commitments -- Javon Baker, Thaiu Jones-Bell and Traeshon Holden. The Crimson Tide expect to take only one more receiver in the 2020 class.
"Alabama has focused more on out-of-state targets such as Kayshon Boutte, Xzavier Henderson, Bryan Robinson and Arian Smith for the last few months. A major push from the Tide for Williams hasn't happened to this point. Clemson appears as the most likely destination spot for the extremely talented athlete.” — Andrew Bone, BamaInsider.com
AUBURN
"'Follow the visits' is a phrase used in recruiting for those of us trying to figure out to which school a recruit will commit. And while many times it holds true, it doesn’t appear to be the case for Williams.
"The four-star receiver has been to Auburn numerous times over the past three years, including visits to both of Auburn’s premiere events in the summer – Big Cat Weekend and War Eagle Picnic. And while Auburn has felt good about its chances with Williams, it never has felt great. That’s because of Clemson, which swooped in two years ago and signed Williams’s former teammate, Justyn Ross. I think the same will happen with Williams.” — Jeffrey Lee, AuburnSports.com
CLEMSON
“We have projected Williams to Clemson, which is about as strong a statement as we make on our end. Obviously former teammate Ross' quick rise to prominence bolsters the appeal for his successor, and co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott's track record in developing NFL receivers is a huge selling point. But as importantly, the Tigers have the best relationships here as well, ranging from area recruiter Todd Bates' connection to Williams and his family being close with those of Ross and their other Central product, freshman safety Ray Thornton. Auburn provided the greatest threat, but here's believing too many factors stacked in Clemson's favor.” — Paul Strelow, TigerIllustrated.com
LSU
“LSU made a strong move for Williams earlier in the year and looked like a serious contender as the spring was rolling in. The Tigers have since added to its wide receiver haul, now sitting at four pledges, which basically takes them out of the game. Alabama was able to pick up steam during the spring and summer, but it feels like Clemson is making its move when it counts most. It may be another big receiver pledge for Clemson, but LSU should be okay with four Rivals100 receivers pledges already in the boat.” — Jimmy Smith, TigerDetails.com
RIVALS FUTURECAST
"Williams has plenty of good options and it was a tough choice, but in the end he picks Clemson. The way they develop skill players and win national titles is too much to pass up and they’ve recruited him very well." -- Mike Farrell, Rivals.com national recruiting director