Behind the Scenes: Clemson lands four-star WR EJ Williams
It came down to four schools for Rivals250 wide receiver EJ Williams. On Saturday, the four-star playmaker out of Phenix City (Ala.) Central announced his commitment to Clemson over Alabama, Auburn and LSU.
How long had the reigning national champions been the leader? Who did Williams almost commit to before Clemson? Find out how this race played out from Williams.
THE BEGINNING
“I got the offer from Clemson July 30 going into my junior year. I liked them before then, I had been there before then, and I had interest in them already, but that is when things really started. I had been hearing from them for a few months, but when the offer came, they started to contact me on the daily. It picked up a lot and it really got going.
“At first, I thought they were on me because of Ross (2018 Clemson signee Justyn Ross), but then coach Jeff Scott and coach Todd Bates started to really get to know me.
“Growing up, I wasn’t really thinking about Clemson. I was from Georgia, so I wanted that Georgia offer real bad. When Ross started to really look at them though, I started to look at them too. Once Clemson offered, Georgia offered a few hours later, so things kind of took off from there. Clemson was a very big offer for me.
“They stayed on me from then on, and the more I learned about them, the more I liked them. The coaches were great, I liked the campus and Clemson really grew up on quickly.”
THE TURN
“I went up to Clemson when they played Furman last season and that is when Ross scored his first touchdown. That visit really put Clemson up there for me. Before than visit, I was really leaning towards Auburn, and I had thought about committing to them before then. I had never seen anything like it. The atmosphere there was out of this world.
“I had never been there, but the fans knew who I was, everyone was talking to me and it felt different. The way the coaches were treating me, how the fans were and the overall atmosphere made it feel like home.
“That visit then changed things for me. Along with that visit, coach Scott helped Clemson make that move for me. He kept showing me what they had done with receivers, who they had helped get to the NFL, what they had done with receivers with a similar frame and things like that. Of course that got my attention too.
“I wanted to go to Auburn for a long time, but the more I went to Clemson, I really fell in love with it. Those visits changed things for me.”
THE FINALE
“August 14 is when I knew for sure it was Clemson. I really started having that feeling last season though. The coaches from Clemson were at our game against Park Crossing and something inside me was telling me Clemson could be the school for me. I never really was nervous when coaches were the, but when Clemson was there that game, something inside me made me feel differently and made me push a little harder.
“Something told me then that Clemson really could be my school. The final order ended up being Clemson, Auburn, LSU, and then Alabama. Clemson is just right for me.
“I let the Clemson coaches know about two months ago. On my last visit over the summer, I let them know. I told coach Scott first, then I let all of them know. They were all excited, but even then, they were telling me to make sure Clemson was where I wanted to go. There coaches are just different. They wanted me, but they also wanted me to visit other schools and make sure of my decision.
“They never wanted me to rush things and I liked that a lot. It feels great now to say that I am a Clemson commit. It is a brotherhood there. It is a tight family and it is an honor to be part of that now. That environment is different and I am excited to be headed to it.”