Impact Report: Vols Land Ball Hawking DB in JuCo Standout Williams

The Tennessee volunteers have landed the commitment of 2022 junior college defensive back Desmond Williams of East Central community college in Mississippi. The standout defender, who held all first from Mississippi State, Nebraska, West Virginia, Houston and Memphis, among others, just announced his pledge to the volunteers moments ago. We take a look at what he brings to Rocky Top in this impact report.

Background

William saw his recruitment surge after a standout season on the gridiron East Central earlier this fall. Tennessee gave Williams his first power five offer on November 3 in the Vols have continued to push for him since. Due to his ongoing junior college season, Williams has not been able to take many visits; however, he was able to make it to Knoxville this weekend for an official visit which sealed the deal in his recruitment.

Fit

Williams is another multi-positional defender that can play across the secondary at Tennessee; however, he will most likely lineup over the slot as the nickel and play on the edge. Williams's ball skills make him the prototypical nickel cornerback that Willie Martinez covets, and he has had so much success pulling from the junior college ranks. While Williams is exceptional in coverage, he does not lack the ability to play close to the line of scrimmage in run support which makes him that much more valuable. As Tennessee loses multiple defensive backs, Williams will have a chance to come in and work at various positions to find his proper fit in Knoxville. With three years remaining, Tennessee will have fun moving Williams across formations and allowing him to attempt to lock up faster and shiftier slot receivers.

Impact Rating

Again, it is no secret that Tennessee has plenty to replace in the backing of this defense with multiple guys departing the program due to either eligibility or leaving for the NFL draft, so adding another defensive back like Williams is a big success for Tennessee on the recruiting trail. Martinez's success with junior-college defensive back is extensive and should be no different with a guy of Williams's caliber. Another under-the-radar find for Tennessee that saw multiple schools get involved with his recruitment immediately after the Vols offered speaks to how well this staff has evaluated the position throughout this recruiting cycle. Williams is a player they feel confident can have immediate success once arriving on Rocky top and will be a key part of the defensive backfield for the next 2 to 3 years. For me, and I have been high on the previous two commitments, Williams is one of the better commitments to date for this staff.

8.8 of 10