Ohio State Freshman Safety Kourt Williams Honored As Top Scholar-Athlete

Kourt Williams arrived in Columbus back in January, and the four-star safety/linebacker will push for early playing time when Ohio State resumes its spring and summer practices. Williams came to the Midwest from Harbor City, California where he was a part of the powerhouse St. John Bosco program. 

While things have certainly quieted down on the football front of late, Saturday was a big day for Williams as he was in Washington, D.C. for an event that was put on by The National Alliance of African American Athletes. Williams was one of six finalists for the Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Award, which honors the country's top high school scholar-athlete. Fellow 2020 Buckeye signee Cody Simon was also recognized as a finalist. 

It turned out to be quite the event for one of the newest Buckeyes.

Congrats to this years @watkinsaward Standard bearer @kourt22williams, from Harbor City, Calif. who maintained a 3.8 GPA in HS. The @OhioStateFB commit MVP of the Nike Opening, a Butkus Award nominee, first-team All-State & a finalist for the All-American Bowl Man of the Year pic.twitter.com/B6xLUWa9g0

— Kelsey Nicole Nelson (@therealknelson) March 15, 2020

The list of activities and accolades is beyond impressive. To name a few, Williams maintained a 3.8 GPA, was a Butkus Award Nominee, and was named the Long Beach Defensive Player of the Year. He also volunteered as a literacy coach, was active at a number of sports camps, and served a number of roles with churches and throughout the community.

Williams is viewed as a versatile defender who can play either linebacker or safety. He's currently listed on Ohio State's roster at safety, but at 6-foot-1 and 221 pounds, he's the type of player who may very well grow into more of a linebacker/bullet role. 

The Buckeyes beat out programs like Penn State, Oklahoma, and Tennessee for the California defender. He arrived in January as one of Ohio State's heralded 14 early enrollees.