2022 Oklahoma Target Gentry Williams Says He's Transitioning to Wide Receiver
Now that Sooner Summit has come and gone, it's become clear that Caleb Williams isn't just focused on building an elite class of commits in his own recruiting cycle. He's got his eyes set on the next circuit as well.
The 2021 class comprised the overwhelming majority of the Summit contingent, but several talented youngsters from the 2022 cycle also showed out. Top Sooner State recruits Jacob Sexton and Talyn Shettron made cameo appearances at the event. So too did Gentry Williams, the state of Oklahoma's No. 1 prospect in the class of 2022.
Williams, a quarterback and defensive back at Booker T. Washington High in Tulsa, is widely regarded as one of the most gifted prospects in his class. 247Sports' composite metrics rank Williams 15th overall in the 2022 cycle, and No. 1 overall in the state of Oklahoma. Though he hadn't met many of the other Summit participants, Williams told SI Sooners that he relished the chance to build bonds with his peers.
“It’s been good, just talking to Talyn and being able to talk to Jordan [Mukes] too," Williams told SI Sooners. "We’re all in-state kids trying to do something special here in Oklahoma.”
In a previous interview with SI Sooners, Williams had indicated that he and Shettron shared a budding friendship. The two speedsters are far and away the most coveted 2022 offensive prospects in the state, and both have expressed their admiration for the Sooners' historic program. So when they each received an invite to Sooner Summit, Williams and Shettron took it as an opportunity to continue building chemistry.
“We’ve been talking since the beginning of this week," Williams said. "Just talking more and more, and I feel like the relationship is building between us.”
Their relationship wasn't the only one that Sooner Summit helped to foster. Amidst a throng of the nation's top high school athletes, Williams says he found it very easy to discover camaraderie in the laid-back atmosphere of the Summit.
“It’s been great," he said. "Because obviously, away from the game, you gotta hang with these guys too. So I’ve just been vibing with them, talking to them, having a great time.”
As national signing day approaches and the recruiting world draws nearer to closing the book on the 2021 class, Williams knows he's going to face a lot more scrutiny come the fall. As arguably the top player within state lines, the legend surrounding his name continues to grow, and college coaches across the nation continue to take interest in recruiting the two-way star. But Williams says that despite the attention and the accolades, he still has the same simple objective as any of his teammates.
“At the end of the day, I still gotta go play football," he said. "The rankings mean something, but at the end of the day, they don’t mean nothing on the field. So I gotta go out there and play to the best of my ability.”
Williams also informed SI Sooners that he's trying his hand at a new position. He's led Booker T. Washington to two consecutive state playoff berths as a quarterback, but he's also a state track champion in the 400 meters. That uncanny speed gives him immense potential as a downfield playmaker in the passing game, and with that in mind, he's taken up pass-catching.
“I’m playing a little more receiver now," Williams said. "They’ve kind of moved me to that position. I like it; I feel like I’ll be more explosive there in more space. I like that part.”
But how much, if at all, will Williams get to showcase his talents as a wideout in 2020? In the midst of a global pandemic, the fall season promises to bring plenty of uncertainty. With no relief on the horizon and a legitimate possibility that the pandemic could stretch into 2021, Williams isn't taking anything for granted once he steps on the gridiron.
“My emphasis this year is - I don’t know when [a game] could be my last [in high school]," he said. "I take every game, every practice like it could be. So I just give it everything I got.”
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