Junior to Watch: Desmond Williams
Junior to Watch: Desmond Williams
High School: Dacula, Georgia
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Position: Inside Linebacker and spot duty as a pass rushing Defensive End
Size and Speed: Williams is 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds. He runs a 4.65 (hand held) 40-yard dash and has a vertical leap op 31 inches.
Statistics: He had 173 total tackles (70 solo), 20 tackles for loss, three sacks and four fumble recoveries. He's a three year starter. He made four straight tackles on a goal line stand to preserve a playoff victory.
Honors: He was named first team 5A all-state and first team all-county as a linebacker. He received one of three player of the month awards.
Favorite Schools: He has heard from all of the SEC schools, notable among them Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and Ole Miss; most of the Big 10 like Michigan, Penn State and Illinois; as well as Maryland and Colorado. He'd like to hear from Texas.
He has no offers yet.
Those recruiting him the hardest are Auburn, Georgia, Virginia and Maryland.
His parents prefer that he stay close to home, but he wouldn't have a problem with going somewhere farther away.
When asked for a list of his current favorites, he named the following schools (listed in order of mention):
1. Georgia - "I like the coaches a lot, especially their linebacker coach. They have great facilities."
2. Auburn - "They're similar to Georgia. They have great facilities and coaches. I love the area. I've gone to camp there the past two years."
3. South Carolina - "I've been there on an unofficial visit. I went to the Alabama game last year. Their game day atmosphere was incredible. Plus, Lou Holtz is there now. He's a great coach."
4. Maryland - "I've watched them on TV. I like the area. It's a large school, I think it's the biggest in the ACC. The program is headed in the right direction."
5. Penn State - "They put a lot of linebackers into the NFL. Their defensive style is cool."
Skinny: He bench presses 365 and squats 495.
"I plan to go to the April Nike camp in Athens and the Auburn and Georgia camps. I'll probably also take an unofficial trip to Penn State or Michigan this summer and maybe one Big 12 school."
He says that his strong points as a player are, "I'm physical. I'm also smart on the field. IA study film all the time so I'm able to react to plays on the field and not have to think about a play. I'll know what's going to happen instinctively, I have a feel for the ball."
He said that it is possible that he'll make an early choice of school, but that he wants to be absolutely sure of his decision.
Academics and education will play an important part in his decision. He wants to major in business.
He lifts weights several days a week and also does quickness and speed drills.