Gators Crack Top 3 for Fast Rising OT Ory Williams Following Official Visit
San Marcos (Texas) High offensive tackle Ory Williams is one step ahead of most 2024 prospects regarding his official visit schedule. Taking a multi-day stay to Oklahoma State in April, Williams — unlike the other 16 players in attendance — walked into Gainesville June 2-4 with a bar set for the Gators to meet or beat.
Head coach Billy Napier, offensive line coaches Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton and defensive line coach Sean Spencer contributed to making a lasting impression on Williams during the trek. Florida subsequently catapulted itself into a top spot of contention for the talented offensive lineman.
"Yeah, this visit, I mean, it was really—it was good," Williams shared, candidly, about his first trip to Gainesville. "I mean, I learned a lot about the school, learned a lot about Coach Nape, about Coach Sale, and Coach Spence and Coach Stape, and I really like it. Definitely one of my top schools now."
The Gators climbed into Williams' unofficial top three, also containing Georgia and LSU, he shared, largely due to their attention to detail and recruitment pitch geared toward the 6-foot-6, 320-pound tackle's potential development in the offensive trenches.
"Definitely up there, top three," said Williams. "Not a lot of new schools I'm looking at right now, I've kind of narrowed it down. But top three."
Florida's staff laid out a plan with specific alterations to be made to elevate his game after observing his first season as a varsity starter in 2022.
"I mean, just the love they showed, the development plan I seen that they have for me and not a lot of schools have that for me," he said. "So, like, that really means that I'm a priority for them and that they really want me."
The Gators have emphasized the O-line since Napier's arrival as head coach in December 2021. Immediately pouring into the position by hiring two assistants directly responsible for splitting on-field duties in Sale and Stapleton, as well as several off-the-field staffers aiding players' progression in practice, UF looks to pair the unit's coaching prowess with top-level talent moving into the future.
Evident strides for the position group since they took over contribute to creating intrigue. Illustrating how Williams fits — while building personal rapport — aids their endeavor.
As a result, the duo of offensive line coaches took time to break down their development game plan for his talents as he sat down with them individually.
In the discussion, Sale and Stapleton shared Williams' projected role on the exterior, provided tweaks to his skillset as both a run blocker and pass protector, and offered help to better understand his responsibilities when rushers come in from the secondary.
"See, that was good," he said. "I got a better feel for them and I really got to know them better. They're real genuine with the words they say and what they talk about."
The memo in said meeting aligned with the one Napier pitched throughout the weekend.
"The message from him was really: They're just a family here and they're going to get me to where I want to be."
Despite being in the unfamiliar environment, Williams received a taste of home as he associated himself with fellow Texas natives DJ Lagway and Xavier Filsaime throughout the weekend.
"It was cool. It's crazy because like we're all kind of alike in some sort," Williams expressed. "Our sense of humor, personality, stuff like that, we're all alike. So, it was real cool to get to connect and bond with them."
Lagway — who's taking a hands-on approach as a player-recruiter in the class — holds a pre-existing relationship with Williams and "stays in touch" about the possibility of suiting up in the same uniform at the next level, the latter shared. The weekend moved Florida into a legitimate position to make Lagway's wish to acquire the left tackle prospect in the 2024 class a reality.
Williams will move forward with official visits to Texas A&M, LSU and Georgia in the next three weekends.
He'll likely take more official visits in the fall, although not yet scheduled, before making a mid-senior season commitment to his collegiate home of the future. At this stage, October or November is his rough timeline, but no date is circled on the calendar.
Williams expects to return to UF for the second time this summer as Florida hosts a cookout on July 29.
There, the Gators will look to further position themselves to land the towering tackle prospect when his eventual commitment date arises.
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