It’s been commonplace for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes to bring in the country’s most touted athletes and then spending anywhere from a few months to a couple years trying to determine where they best fit. The “athlete” role has become more and more prominent in college football recruiting, and Ohio State has signed players like Dontre Wilson, Jalin Marshall, Curtis Samuel, and Demario McCall over the last several years.
These athletes typically fit into more of a hybrid role and end up either at running back, wide receiver, or H-back. One of the Buckeyes’ newest signees – a three-star from Pickerington’s North High School – will head to Ohio State as a different kind of athlete.
Alex Williams isn’t another 5-foot-11 burner who will excel when getting the ball in space. At 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, the former West Virginia commit is more of a “jumbo” athlete who’s likely to make an impact in the trenches or potentially even at tight end.
The Williams recruitment was a bit of an Urban Meyer special. He was a less-heralded prospect who wasn’t being talked about a whole lot until a week or two before the early signing period. The Pickerington defender had been locked in with West Virginia since May, but he had a tough decision to make when Meyer and Ohio State came calling late in the process.
In this instance, the late interest was likely for a number of reasons. As a junior in 2016, Williams was a scrawny 215 pounds and had the appearance of more of a shooting guard or small forward rather than that of a gridiron star. He also missed a good portion of the season due to a back injury. Thus, there was limited film for the staff to review, but his senior campaign was clearly enough for them to take note. Williams recorded four sacks, 14 tackles for loss, forced multiple turnovers, and batted down numerous passes at the line of scrimmage.
Given Ohio State's need at defensive end, most of our discussion has revolved around Williams' future at the position. That's where played at Pickerington North and he certainly has the look of an edge rusher. The Buckeyes lost five-star pass-rusher Brenton Cox earlier this month, and the Georgia native ultimately signed with the in-state Bulldogs. Larry Johnson absolutely needs to reload at the position considering the exodus that will take place following the season.
However, when speaking at last week's presser, Meyer made it clear that Williams could end up at a number of different positions. He talked about re-evaluating some Ohio prospects after learning of Kierre Hawkins' and A.J. Alexander's departures, so tight end definitely appears to be on his mind. He also hit on the need at defensive end, which is abundantly clear as the Buckeyes continue to chase Cleveland's Tyreke Smith and Blairstown, New Jersey's Jayson Oweh.
Meyer went on to rave about Williams' family, his 3.8 grade point average, and described him as a "late developer" and a "big athlete" who's capable of playing on either side of the ball. Defensive tackle has been mentioned as a possibility as well, but with the Buckeyes signing Taron Vincent, Tommy Togiai, and Antwuan Jackson, there will likely be more pressing needs elsewhere.
Last week Williams spoke with Cleveland.com about the recruiting process, how Ohio State entered the picture, and where he may be utilized at the next level.
Alex Williams' Ohio State commitment, and the new Ohio crunch facing Buckeyes in early signing period https://t.co/yE1pZLcVw3
— Bill Landis (@BillLandis25) December 21, 2017
As with any newcomer – even when the position is already established – a lot will depend on the development under Mickey Marotti and of course how quickly he can pick up on the other intricacies of Ohio State's scheme. The case of Alex Williams will be especially intriguing, though, since he could project at three or four different positions with most of them being pretty big needs right now.
Offensive tackle hasn't been mentioned as much as the aforementioned defensive end and tight end, but after missing on Jackson Carman, it's surely not out of the picture for the Buckeyes to tinker with the idea of a 6-foot-7, 250 pounder transitioning into more of a pass protector. Reid Fragel had similar measurables coming out of high school, and that ended up being the move for him; a move that took place almost immediately after Meyer's arrival.
Ohio State will likely take a wait-and-see approach with Williams, but for a three-star prospect with limited national offers, the future appears to be quite bright for the Buckeyes' newest in-state signee.
