Vanderbilt Football Adds Former Buckeye DE Alex Willams as Transfer

Additions to Vanderbilt football continue as former OSU Buckeye defensive end Alex Williams announces his transfer to the Commodores.

Head coach Derek Mason has had a bit of a busy offseason with staff changes and recruiting, and now you can add the addition of former Ohio State defensive end Alex Williams to the list of new faces soon to be wearing black & gold. 

Williams, at 6'6" 270 spent two seasons in Columbus mostly as a back-up. He redshirted at OSU in 2018, then played sparingly as a redshirt freshman in 2019. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining if he is granted immediate eligibility. If not, he must sit out a year, he will then have two seasons of eligibility remaining, beginning in 2021.

Williams ranked as the No. 34 weak-side defensive end in the country out of Pickerington North High School in Pickerington, Oh. He originally committed to West Virginia but flipped to Ohio State the day before Early Signing Day in December 2017.

Williams announced on Instagram that he would transfer to play for the Commodores.

“The Ohio State University has given me tools as a young man to grow, and I thank everyone who’s been a part of said journey. I’ve been here my entire life and grew up being in this position, but life has audibles,” Williams wrote. "“Coach Day and Coach Larry Johnson gave me an opportunity of a lifetime and I cannot be more appreciative of that. College Football isn’t what you see on the television on Saturday, it is deeper and you will only understand (if) you’ve been a part of a group of soldiers like the ones I was with in my past two years of college ball. I wish I could thank you all… you know who you are. “Coach Mason, Ted Roof, and Haye… these men have given me an opportunity to play in the SEC for Vanderbilt Univeristy, while earning a phenomenal degree in the meantime. Thank you all and the rest of this staff that I am thrilled to be under.“Thank you Mom and Dad I love you, this thing hadn’t been easy.“I’ll be wearing #8 as a Vanderbilt Man, thank you Kobe Bryant. Thank you so much…”

If immediately eligible, Williams could be the third transfer that would be part of the Commodores defensive line in the 2020 season.