No. 1 Linebacker in America Flips Commitment From Ole Miss to Florida State Seminoles

Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels reeled in a commitment from Leesburg (Fla.) Tavares four-star linebacker Izayia Williams in May after joining the 2026 Recruiting Class.

Williams, the No. 1 rated linebacker in America, flipped his pledge from the Florida Gators to the Ole Miss Rebels fresh off of a visit to Oxford this offseason.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder has had a unique recruitment to this point after being verbally committed to multiple programs.

Williams revealed a pledge to Louisville in November of 2023 during his sophomore campaign with the pledge being short-lived.

The Florida native de-committed from the Louisville program just three months later prior to revealing a decision to pledge to the Syracuse Orange in January of 2024.

Fast forward to August of 2024 and Williams once again elected to reopen his recruitment process. He then committed to Mike Norvell and the Florida State Seminoles one month later.

Moving ahead, Williams backed off of his pledge to the Florida State program in November and made the move to join Billy Napier's Florida Gators 2026 Recruiting Class.

Now, after another move, Williams has committed to Norvell and the Florida State Seminoles once again.

The Recap: Williams' Recruitment History

Commits to Louisville - Nov. 2023
Decommits from Louisville - Jan. 2024
Commits to Syracuse - April 2024
Decommits from Syracuse - Aug. 2024
Commits to Florida State - Sept. 2024
Decommits from Florida State- Nov. 2024
Commits to Florida - Mar. 2025
Flips to Ole Miss - May 2025
Flips to Floroda State - August 2025

Elite LB Izayia Williams Recruitment Timeline: https://t.co/mDXhC40U3T pic.twitter.com/LLG6oQbcF4
— Rivals (@Rivals) August 15, 2025

It's a critical loss for the Ole Miss Rebels with the coveted second-level defender electing to remain in the Sunshine State.

The 247Sports Evaluation: "Supercharged linebacker with the athletic juice to make headlines at the NFL Scouting Combine one day, but one that is still discovering all of his capabilities. Owns elite speed and explosion scores for someone that’s already pushing 215 pounds and has one of the more unique track and field profiles in the class. Closes gaps with jurisdiction and can turn into a mallet as he slams opponents.

"Owns rare sideline-to-sideline range with his gallop and has continued to improve depth perception as a drop-coverage defender. Should in theory be able to offer some alignment flexibility at his next stop as he has flashed the ability to dip and rip while taxing the edge. Suitable as an open-field tackler at this stage, but has to get better at consistently putting himself in favorable positions. Improved stack skills will also go a long way.

"Could fit into a variety of different schemes and role will likely hinge on how he fills into his larger features as he’s on the younger side. A bit of a big fish in a small pond, but looked the part for stretches in a best-on-best setting at the annual Under Armour All-America Game. Should be viewed as a full-tilt, second-level defender with true three-down capabilities and all-conference potential if it all comes together."

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.