Florida State signs blue-chip lineback Izayia Williams
The long and strange recruitment of Izayia Williams is finally over, with Williams signing on with the Seminoles.
The 6’2″, 215-pound Williams has made six verbal commitments in total, having committed to the Syracuse Orange, Louisville Cardinals, Florida Gators and Ole Miss Rebels, with also a verbal commitment to FSU. The Seminoles managed to get him back in the fold on August 15, and to his credit, he has remained solid since then. 247Sports Composite ranks Williams as the 79th best player in the country (6th best LB, 11th best in Florida).
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Williams unfortunately missed his entire senior season due to injury, which undoubtedly helped FSU fulfill its commitment. He played as a junior, accumulating 125 tackles (15 for loss), four sacks and one interception on defense. On the other side of the ball, he rushed 23 times for 423 yards (18.4 average) and six touchdowns and caught five passes for 97 yards and four touchdowns.
If Williams is able to be 100% healthy and regain his athleticism and explosion from the first look, he profiles as a future starter for FSU. He can go sideline to sideline and quickly close on ball carriers, arriving with violent intentions and tackling through his man. A lot depends on his recovery, of course, but this could ultimately be a significant victory for FSU.
From his official Florida State biography:
Consensus four-star linebacker from Tavares High School…ranked as the No. 44 player nationally, the No. 1 linebacker and No. 5 player in Florida by Rivals…ranked as No. 46 on ESPN’s SCNext 300 and the No. 5 linebacker and No. 7 player in Florida…No. 196 by 247Sports, Florida’s No. 10 and No. 25 linebacker… suffered an injury before senior season… participated in the Under Armor All-America Game after junior season… two-way player in Tavares had 125 tackles, 15.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and one interception during junior season… carried the ball 23 times for 423 yards and six touchdowns… added five receptions for 97 yards and four touchdowns…the two-sport athlete also competed in the 100, 200 and 400 meter events as well as the shot put, high jump and broad jump with the Tavares track and field team…chose Florida State over offers from Florida, Ole Miss and Georgia, among others.
