Jim Schlossnagle Shares Thoughts On Future of Two-Sport Athlete Jonah Williams

Head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle talked Williams' recent development as a two-sport star.

Recruit Jonah Williams watches Ohio State warm up before playing Penn State Oct. 21, 2023 at Ohio Stadium. | Lori Schmidt/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns freshman Jonah Williams will be keeping himself busy this spring ahead of a daunting 2025 football season.

The early enrollee is set to join the Texas defense as a safety come August, but Williams has already arrived on the Forty Acres as an outfielder and pitcher for the baseball team.

A dual-sport athlete out of Galveston Ball High School, Williams committed to Texas in December as the No. 1 safety recruit of the 2025 class with plans to play both football and baseball.

Although he has yet to see any action at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, baseball head coach Jim Schlossnagle has been impressed with Williams' development as the season gets underway.

Recruit Jonah Williams watches Ohio State warm up before playing Penn State Oct. 21, 2023 at Ohio Stadium. | Lori Schmidt/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Jonah Williams has looked really good lately. It's just a matter of finding space for him," Schlossnagle told Zachary Symm of OrangeBloods.com. "But it's not just about looking better. It's about, 'are you going to be able to compete in this league?' And I have to use my best judgement on the long-term future of the player."

Schlossnagle has previously mentioned in media availabilities that keeping Williams off the starting lineup was a decision made to keep him healthy enough to play football in the fall. Williams suffered a broken collarbone in October of 2024 and missed the remainder of his final high school season and is now on the brink of a full recovery.

Williams' talents in both sports are enough to propel him to the pros in either direction, according to Schlossnagle, which makes it harder to keep him in the dugout.

"Jonah is different because he's a football guy and if he continues to evolve as a football player, who knows if he's going to be in college in three years," Schlossnagle said. "He might be in the NFL. Shoot, he might be in Major League Baseball or professional baseball. It's just so hard. And freshman parents, they think their kid is going to be 'the one' and every now and then they are, but if they'll just allow the development to occur they'll turn out pretty good players."

Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle talks to Dartmouth head coach Bob Whalen ahead of the game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. | Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

However, his time apart from the diamond may not last too much longer, as Schlossnagle said his recent improvements could earn him a spot at bat.

"In the last three days, he's really put some good swings on some balls. What sets him apart from others in his class on our time is A. he's a left-handed hitter and B. he can really run," Schlossnagle said. "So we could use another left-handed bat at some point. So I'm going to look to get him in there in one of these non-conference games. But he's really improving and he's a lot of fun to be around. He's a great guy."

Being a dual-sport star presents the challenge of coaches having to compete for their time, that's not an issue for Schlossnagle and football head coach Steve Sarkisian. Schlossnagle said that Sarkisian has been cooperative since the beginning and understands the two will have to make some adjustments once football's spring practice begins on March 25.

"I think that starts with Sark, Coach [Sarkisian]. You know, I've coached plenty of football/baseball guys where either the football coach or the assistant football coach, the position coach, is in their ear, putting pressure on them saying, 'Hey, what are you doing over there? You need to be over here.' And Sark from Day 1 has been, 'Oh no man, he's a baseball player,'" Schlossnagle said. "You know, for spring practice we're going to have to work through some things. But he's been super supportive and I think that clears Jonah's mind where he can be all-in as a baseball player. We love having him around and hope that he can help us this year."

No. 11 Texas baseball will face UT Arlington on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CT at home in hopes of extending its win streak in its best start in two decades at 13-1.

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