Explaining why Mykel Williams will break out in 2023

Georgia has shown, just in the last two seasons, that they know how to reload, especially on the defensive side of the football. Now, heading into 2023, On3’s J.D. PicKell expects sophomore DL Mykel Williams to be the latest example of that down in Athens.

PicKell named Williams as a potential breakout player in the Southeastern Conference this fall while at SEC Media Days. He said that the former top-recruit seeing the field early with the Bulldogs on their recent undefeated team says everything that you may need to know about where he projects to be in the future.

“Mykel Williams is 6’5, 265 pounds. He looks like Optimus Prime on the defensive line for Georgia,” PicKell said during a segment of ‘The Hard Count’. “He was the No. 2 overall player for us here at On3 in that 2022 cycle, had a very real case to be the No. 1 player.”

“He’s a dude that got on the field for Georgia as a true freshman,” continued PicKell. “Y’all, to be on the defensive line as a true freshman, your first year on campus, and play for Georgia? That speaks volumes to this kid’s ability, to his maturity, to his acumen to digest that scheme. And he’s such a freak show that he’s everything that you’d want if you were to build an ideal edge defender. He’s twitched up, great size.”

In that true freshman campaign, Williams posted 28 tackles and 4.5 sacks overall. He did so in several appearances, including a pair of starts on the defensive line.

That experience alone should certainly make him better as a sophomore this season. However, the other players on Georgia’s defense is why PicKell sees him as a player who could take over considering opposing offensive lines won’t have many answers for him or Georgia in the trench.

“The thing with him? The reason why he’s going to break out this coming season, apart from his ability and all that he has physically? It is going to be virtually impossible to consistently double-team him,” PicKell explained. “Like, if he shows up and starts wrecking shop? If you want to commit extra blockers to him? Like, you can do that if you want. But then guess what? Nazir Stackhouse? He gets to eat? The rest of that defensive line? They get to eat greedy.”

“Do so if you want to but it just creates more problems for you,” said PicKell. “So if you give him one-on-ones throughout the course of the season? Throughout the course of a game even? It’s going to create problems for you.”

Georgia has posted a top-five defense during each of the past two seasons for a reason. They have studs on that end and they put them in positions to wreak havoc. With that in mind, that’s why PicKell anticipates another step forward for Williams in his second collegiate season.

“Mykel Williams? He’s about to break out in a very, very big way,” PicKell stated. “Forget just the Southeastern Conference. I’m talking about a national stage. Mykel Williams is going to be a dude that you need to make sure you are watching this coming season.”