Scouting Report: Florida Gators 2021 Edge Rusher Jeremiah Williams
Florida kicked off its return to football after a two-week, COVID-19 inspired hiatus by landing a commitment from 2021 edge rusher Jeremiah Williams (Ramsay - Birmingham, Ala.).
RELATED: Florida Gators land commitment from SI99 edge rusher Jeremiah "Scooby" Williams
Williams chose Florida over Auburn and others, shortly after delaying his previously scheduled Oct. 10 commitment date. Recruited by linebackers coach Christian Robinson, Williams has the potential to play outside linebacker within Florida's scheme. However, Williams best projects as a BUCK edge rusher.
Possessing a lengthy frame with ample room left to fill out, Williams is an aggressive edge defender with great closing speed after beating his blocks to create disruption in the backfield. That can be backed up by his 25 sacks and 31 tackles for loss in his sophomore and junior seasons combined.
Williams is comfortable dropping into pass coverage and shooting gaps as an off-ball rusher, which will allow Florida to move him around the linebacker corps. But with an already-developing arsenal of rush moves and a knack for blowing plays up behind the line of scrimmage, Williams is an ideal fit for the BUCK position. He's shown the ability to bend around the corner, as well as to counter-rush inside, a skill that should only improve as he continues to get stronger.
Below, you can find Williams' entire scouting report from Sports Illustrated All-American. Williams is SIAA's No. 7 edge rusher and No. 54 overall prospect in the class of 2021.
Prospect: Jeremiah Williams
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 220 pounds
Position: Defensive End
School: Ramsay (Ala.) Birmingham
Committed to: Florida
Projected Position: Edge
Frame: Fairly wide shoulders and solid length through arms with definition. Tight torso and waist with room to add to lower half.
Athleticism: Solid all-around athlete who plays with strength and toughness. Comfortable setting edges versus reach and base blocks with 1 or 2-hand punch. Has good range and works to maintain outside leverage to reach ball-carriers playside. Solid first-step quickness as a pass-rusher. Flashes good ability to clear hips and flatten when cornering and has excellent closing quickness.
Instincts: Times blitzes well with late declaration pre-snap when working off ball and stacked. Plays with solid eyes in zone coverage concepts. Can relate to 2 and 3 in coverage with solid break on ball. Alert to attack throwing arm when pursuing and finishing on passers. Alert to get mitts inside throwing lanes at the line of scrimmage.
Polish: Plays both as a stand-up edge and off-ball ‘backer. Has experience in the boundary and to the field. Flashes variation with his mitts [hands] via an inside long-arm stab, inside chop-and-club, rip, swim and also has a speed rush. Needs to sell his initial upfield rush better to set up his inside attacks. Is somewhat light in the pants and needs to add bulk to his frame.
Bottom Line: Williams plays with very good effort, along with good awareness and space production. He can hold his own underneath in zone coverage concepts in the passing game and also has a varied pass-rush toolbox. He isn’t overly long or massive, yet he has enough strength and toughness to factor. Williams fits best as a Jack or Sam edge-type working on the flanks in a defense with a 3-4 base.