Mykel Williams

Mykel DeAnthony Williams (born June 29, 2004) is an American football defensive end for the Georgia Bulldogs. In January 2022, he was named the Maxwell Football National High School Defensive Player of the Year. He was also rated by 247Sports as the No. 4 recruit in college football's class of 2022.

Mykel Williams
Georgia Bulldogs – No. 13
PositionDefensive end
ClassSophomore
Personal information
Born: (2004-06-29) June 29, 2004
Columbus, Georgia
Height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight265 lb (120 kg)
Career history
College
Bowl games
High schoolHardaway (Columbus,GA)
Career highlights and awards

Early years

Williams attended Hardaway High School in Columbus, Georgia. After his senior season, he was named the Maxwell Football National High School Defensive Player of the Year.[1]

Recruiting

Williams "received national attention" early in his high school football career.[2] He was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 4 recruit in college football's class of 2022.[3] 247Sports compared Williams to Rashan Gary, citing his "outstanding frame" and "elite length."[4] He has also been compared to Travon Walker,[2] Nolan Smith calling Williams the spitting image of Walker.[5] Rivals.com rated him as the No. 8 recruit in the nation.[6] ESPN rated him at No. 23 in its 2022 ESPN 300.[7]

University of Georgia

Williams initially committed to USC, but flipped to Georgia in October 2021.[8][9] He was the highest-rated recruit signed by defending national champion Georgia in the 2022 recruiting cycle.[10] In July 2022, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said of Williams: "The number one thing that stands out about Mykel is his work ethic. . . . I'm excited for him. . . . He's a great young man."[10]

As a true freshman in 2022, CBS Sports rated him as a "freshman to watch",[11] and ESPN rated him as a preseason true freshman All-American.[12] He played in Georgia's 2022 season opener against No. 11 Oregon and registered two quarterback hurries.[13] At the end of the season, he was named to Pro Football Focus's PFF True Freshman All-America team.[14]

References
  1. "Mykel Williams Honored As Nation's Top Defender". SI.com. January 20, 2022.
  2. Evan Cromwell (May 18, 2022). "Mykel Williams Touted As Next Big Thing In Athens". SI.com.
  3. "2022 Top Football Recruits". 247Sports. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  4. "Mykel Williams". 247Sports. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  5. "Nolan Smith Compares Mykel Williams to Travon Walker". SI.com. August 29, 2022.
  6. "Mykel Williams". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  7. "2022 ESPN 300". ESPN. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  8. "5-Star DL Prospect Mykel Williams Flips Commitment from USC to Georgia". Bleacher Report. October 20, 2021.
  9. Tom VanHaaren (October 20, 2021). "DE Mykel Williams, No. 50 prospect in Class of 2022, flips commitment from USC to Georgia". ESPN.
  10. "Kirby Smart is "Excited" about Freshman Mykel Williams". SI.com. July 21, 2022.
  11. "Mykel Williams is a true freshman to watch out for in 2022". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  12. Jordan D. Hill (August 18, 2022). "Mykel Williams named Preseason True Freshman All-American by ESPN". ESPN.
  13. "Why Mykel Williams started in his first career Georgia football game: 'He's going to be very good'". DawgNation. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  14. "Haulcy Named PFF True Freshman All-America". Pro Football Focus. November 29, 2022.
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