Mykel Williams Makes College Decision
Georgia has lost out on one of the nation's premier prospects and in-state products, defensive end Mykel Williams.
According to his social media feeds Tuesday, Mykel Williams has committed to USC following an official visit over the weekend to see the school's campus.
According to sources close to the situation, it was the name, image, and likeness pitch Williams received from the USC coaching staff that sold him on the decision to go to USC.
However, this recruitment is far from over. Georgia will continue to recruit Williams despite the commitment announcement, but for now this is a loss for Georgia.
Uncommon Athleticism
We have already discussed how the standard has shifted in terms of defensive linemen. No longer is it enough to be big in today's game; players have to be filled with twitch, bend, power and explosiveness to be elite on the college level.
At 6-foot-5, Williams bends with the best of them. He has extremely loose hips and plays with excellent pad level. His fluidity in the open field when pursuing ball-carriers is unmatched in the state of Georgia considering his size and position.
Technician
Watching defensive line guru Chuck Smith work with these young prospects up close and personal, it's easy to see that all of his pupils are technicians at the position. Smith does a great job teaching hand-fighting techniques as well as ensuring that the footwork follows in order to make them elite pass rushers.
Players like Von Miller, Aaron Donald, Stephon Tuitt and Azeez Ojulari have all trained under Smith during his time. He's commonly referred to as "Dr. Rush." Simply put, any player that's spent as much time as Williams has with a trainer the caliber of Smith will be ready to get after the passer from Day 1 in college.
Scheme Fit
Williams envisions himself as a true defensive end, although the reality is he's more of a traditional odd-front end. By the time he leaves college, he's projected to weigh around 300 pounds and coaches don't play those types of guys in traditional edge-rusher roles.
However, a school like Georgia that runs a version of an odd-front defense with a defensive end that typically plays with inside alignment on the tackle would be the ideal scheme for a player like Williams.
He's too athletic to leave on the interior of the defensive line, and he's far too powerful and impactful in the run game to leave him out on the edge. What a school like Georgia or Alabama does is ideal for a player like Williams.
