C.J. Williams Commitment Preview, Final Predictions
Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei wide receiver CJ Williams is one of the nation's best pass catchers and he's set to make his college announcement. Williams is set to make his decision public today at 4:00 PM ET and he will announce between USC, Texas, Alabama, Stanford and Notre Dame.
Publishers from across the SI/Fan Nation network provide the latest on the schools they cover and make a final decision for Williams, the nation's No. 88 overall player in the SI99.
BRYAN DRISKELL, IRISH BREAKDOWN
Williams made visits to Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas, Stanford and USC this summer but the Irish, Trojans and Longhorns have been considered the top contenders for his services. For Notre Dame this is a must-win battle. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees made Williams a priority months ago, and the goal for Notre Dame was to finish with a wide receiver class that has both Williams and Vancouver (Wash.) Union star Tobias Merriweather in the class. Williams pledged to the Irish on Wednesday and now the staff is hoping to land Williams.
Texas jumped in the mix after Steve Sarkisian was hired in January and they made things quite interesting. USC has always been a tough team to beat for Mater Dei stars, but Sarkisian beat the Trojans for 5-star Mater Dei QB Bryce Young, who flipped to Alabama after originally committing to USC. Sarkisian began recruiting Of course the Trojans are also a legitimate contender for Williams, but Notre Dame held a special place with him for quite some time and things have been rending in a strong direction with the Irish for some time. PREDICTION: Notre Dame
MATT GALATZAN, LONGHORNS COUNTRY
CJ Williams is one of the most talent receivers in the entire country, regardless of classification. At 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, he already has an elite frame and a polished route running ability that every program in country covets. Unfortunately for most of the schools involved in his recruitment, Williams seems destined to end up at Notre Dame at this point.
USC, Texas and Alabama all made significant pushes for Williams. Texas in particular made a very big impact on Williams, landing a visit to the 40 Acres in June. And while Steve Sarkisian’s connections at Mater Dei should never be discounted, it will not be enough here. PREDICTION: Notre Dame
CLAUDETTE MONTANA PATTISON, ALL TROJANS
While USC has a strong Mater Dei presence on their roster, it might take more than that to win CJ Williams commitment. Teammate [CB] Domani Jackson is locked in on the Trojans and will join former Monarchs Raejson Davis and Bru McCoy [tentatively] in Southern California next season. USC is known as WRU, and runs a pass heavy offense, which is attractive for any wide receiver recruit. However, the Trojans are also fairly deep at Williams' position which could be a discouraging factor.
Making a prediction for where the 6-foot-2, 195-pound wideout will land, I would say Notre Dame holds high odds with USC somewhere on the radar. PREDICTION: Notre Dame
TYLER MARTIN, BAMA CENTRAL
After signing four premier wideouts in the 2021 class, Alabama has taken things slow at the receiver position in 2022 with only one commitment almost midway through August. Williams, whose father played basketball at Alabama, was first recruited by the Crimson Tide when Nick Saban and then offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian visited Mater Dei High School to see quarterback Bryce Young back in the 2020 recruiting cycle.
However, with the addition of in-state prospect Kobe Prentice and Alabama still in wait-and-see mode on players like Barion Brown, Kendrick Law and Evan Stewart, Williams is not expected to join the Crimson Tide’s class as of now. That’s especially the case since he hasn’t visited Tuscaloosa in over two years. Notre Dame is the likely landing spot for a player that could make an instant impact from the moment he steps on campus. PREDICTION: Notre Dame
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