Nolan Smith Compares Mykel Williams to Travon Walker
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That is extremely high praise coming from senior edge rusher Nolan Smith. Smith, a vocal and do-it-by-example type leader, is heading into a crucial season of his own as the former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2019 class looks ahead to a potential future in the National Football League (NFL).
Smith, Kelee Ringo, and Christopher Smith are the only three returning starters from last season's historical national championship-winning defenses. But, of course, that number doesn't include players like Jalen Carter and Robert Beal, both of which had a significant role last season and will be major players this fall.
That said, the Bulldogs' defense will need to lean on its youth and inexperience. With the elite-level recruiting done over the years by Kirby Smart and his staff, Georgia's roster is stocked with talent. The beauty of having a younger team is those more youthful players, like the current freshman, will be able to play early and often.
It seems like every year, a freshman breaks through in the depth chart and plays a major role, even if he is a first-year. Tight end Brock Bowers was an example of this last year; both Nakobe Dean and Lewis Cine, now NFL players, played major roles as freshmen.
Heading into this year, Mykel Williams, as spoken about above by Nolan Smith, could be the next true freshman to break through in a major way for the Bulldogs. A five-star prospect out of Columbus, Ga., was rated the fourth-best prospect in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite.
At 6-foot-5, 280-plus pounds, it is easy to see why many will make the comparisons to Travon Walker. After all, turning on Williams' high school tape, he terrorized offensive linemen with his freaky athleticism off the edge.
Looking further into his background, Williams is a pupil of of "Dr. Rush" Chuck Smith, who, as his nickname implies, is a doctor in pass rush. Smith has trained countless current NFL players, a list that includes Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and Azeez Ojulari, among others.
Without the help of three first-round picks up front, SI Dawgs Daily projects that Williams will play a role in Georgia's defensive front. His versatility could allow him to play both defensive end and either JACK or SAM.
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