Re-Ranking the Contenders: Jeremiah Williams
It was six, it was almost one, but now, as we roll into the back-end of August, there are four schools still being considered by four-star linebacker Jeremiah Williams.
The star out of Birmingham (Ala.) Ramsay had a list of Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide and Tigers in Baton Rouge have been eliminated, so Williams is now to four.
Just a few weeks ago, he flirted with a commitment, but hit the pause button to take more time, re-evaluate his options, and instead of committing to one, he has turned his focus to Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma.
Who has the edge? We re-rank his contenders.
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1. AUBURN
If you cover recruiting long enough, when the race is extremely tight, you tend to see the program closest to home come out on top. If we would have ranked these programs a month or so ago, Florida would have been in this spot. It has been close between the Tigers and Gators for some time now, and these two may be going back and forth on top still to this day. Auburn has gone all in with Williams, and it is not one coach recruiting him, but numerous coaches, including head coach Gus Malzahn is involved.
2. FLORIDA
Florida almost landed a commitment from Williams. This was very close to happening in July. Christian Robinson is the lead recruiter, and the former linebacker at Georgia has done an excellent job. There are other coaches in the mix too, and Florida’s defensive plan to move Williams around really stands out to him. Florida may be No. 2 on this list today, but the top two programs here are very close, and it should read more like a 1A and 1B.
3. GEORGIA
Georgia is hanging around, and yes, it is a program you cannot sleep on here, but the Bulldogs are behind the Tigers and the Gators. Glenn Schumann is the lead recruiter, and he has been in regular contact with Williams over the summer with Kirby Smart becoming more involved here recently. The communication may have increased in recent weeks between the two parties, and a first visit to Athens could be on the horizon, so Georgia is in this, but it has some ground to make up.
4. OKLAHOMA
Distance and familiarity are against the Sooners here. Oklahoma has stayed in this race due to its consistency and how it has recruited Williams. The staff in Norman has put forth the effort, they have had Williams on virtual visits and they have shown him how he can shine in their system. Still though, when you look at Williams’ list of four, you see three SEC powers that are fairly close to home, then Oklahoma. For the Sooners to make a move here, they need visits to open back up and to get Williams on campus.