Tyleik Williams is running it back.
Williams announced Wednesday that he will return for his senior season at Ohio State, where he will anchor the Buckeyes' interior defensive line for the second consecutive year.
RELOAD THAT MF CLIP#FREE91 pic.twitter.com/lxTeScUi9F
— Tyleik Williams (@tyleikk) January 3, 2024
This past season, Williams was one of the best defensive tackles in all of college football, recording 53 tackles with 10 tackles for loss, three sacks and five pass breakups across 13 games. He also had a fumble recovery for a touchdown in Ohio State’s win over Western Kentucky.
Williams' performances resulted in second-team All-Big Ten recognition from the conference's media. He was also named a second-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
A three-year contributor at Ohio State, Williams arrived in Columbus in 2021. As a freshman the Manassas, Virginia, native shined in limited opportunities, receiving snaps in nine games and recording 16 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.
In 2022, Williams suffered a sophomore slump. While he appeared in all of the Buckeyes' 13 games, his production declined. The 6-foot-2, 290-pound defensive tackle ended the year with 21 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
Williams used his performance in 2022 as motivation last offseason. He maintained his weight and improved his conditioning in Ohio State strength coach Mickey Marotti's program. Williams' impressive 2023 campaign was the result of his hard work.
With one remaining year of collegiate eligibility, Williams has now collected 91 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, nine sacks and nine pass breakups in his Ohio State career.
Two of Ohio State’s top three defensive tackles from this past season have now announced their NFL draft decisions as Mike Hall announced that he would forgo his final two years of eligibility and enter the 2024 NFL draft. Ty Hamilton has not yet announced whether he will stay at Ohio State for his fifth-year senior season or enter the 2024 draft.
Other defensive tackles vying for playing time at the position for Ohio State in 2024 will include Hero Kanu, Kayden McDonald, Tywone Malone, Jason Moore and Will Smith Jr. The Buckeyes also added three-star recruit Eric Mensah in the class of 2024.
