The news is official, five-star Galveston (Texas) Ball outside linebacker Jonah Williams has committed to the Texas Longhorns.
Williams is a fascinating prospect as he is truly a do-it-all defensive playmaker, able to fit at a number of spots in various schemes and alignments.
There has been plenty of discussion around the industry and among the fan bases of programs recruiting Williams. Previously ranked as a safety, Rivals elected to move Williams to outside linebacker, remaining a five-star prospect.
Here is some insight into why we feel outside linebacker is the appropriate positional fit for Williams.
Looking at Williams’ frame of 6-foot-3 and just over 200 pounds before his senior season, he is already the size of or even bigger than most modern safeties in college and the NFL.
When considering rankings, the idea is to fit their NFL projection. For Williams, we are looking at what he will be, not just what he is before he even starts his senior season. Heading into a major college program and the weight room and development that comes along with that, it can be assumed that Williams will put on weight. At roughly 205 pounds now, we feel he will likely end up in the range of 220-225 pounds. At his height paired with that weight, the safety position becomes a bit unlikely. Instead, outside linebacker position would be his best fit.
This does not at all take away from his elite athleticism and the skills he is able to show on the field. But the fact is that players are only going to get faster and more skilled at the next level. Williams is a mid 4.5 forty yard dash guy and that’s before any added weight, so asking him to matchup against 4.3 and 4.4 wide receivers in the deep half of the field could be a tough matchup.
However, having him matched up against running backs, tight ends, and occasionally larger wideouts gives him an athletic advantage over most he would face. He would also be closer to the line of scrimmage, where he would be able to utilize his diagnosing skills and be a key factor at attacking the edges and occasionally getting after the quarterback. He has not shown much edge rushing, but with his speed and burst, if he is a situational blitz option, he could be a massive weapon.
The biggest evidence for the fit at outside linebacker is how the NFL Draft has seen players of his size. There have been 22 linebackers drafted since 2020 with measureables of at least 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, 77-inch wingspan, and no faster than 4.5. Seven of the 22 were first round picks.
There have been just two defensive backs drafted with these testing metrics.
Looking at the players who fit the same metrics, there are a number who Williams can draw comparisons to. Two are first round draft picks Devin Lloyd and Jamin Davis. Lloyd was recruited as a safety before adding size and playing linebacker. Davis was a lesser known recruit who developed into his abilities while in college.
Another excellent comparison is first round draft pick Isaiah Simmons, who also left high school as a safety but put on mass and moved down to linebacker. For Clemson, he was a Mr. Everything defender. The only difference in his athleticism he ran a 4.39 at the NFL Combine. In my opinion, Williams is a slightly slower Isaiah Simmons.
First round pick Quay Walker out of Georgia is another prime comparison. Walker weighed 241 pounds heading into the NFL, so Williams may not put on that much weight, but the other metrics are near identical. He was a near five-star prospect in the 2018 class.
Now that Williams is headed to Texas, we can look at the players Texas has on their defense and seeing where his size and skillset would be best used.
Looking at the Texas roster, the projected starting safeties are Andrew Mukuba (6-foot, 190), Derek Williams (6-foot-2, 195), and ‘STAR’ Jahdae Barron (5-foot-11, 200)
Their projected starting linebackers are David Gbenda (6-foot, 235) and Anthony Hill Jr. (6-foot-3, 235).
Williams would be by far the largest defensive back on the roster while his projected size would fit among the linebackers. With his skillset, he could fill time at both, but have a larger impact at outside linebacker.
