4-star 2023 TE Riley Williams set to visit Washington this weekend
Riley Williams, the top-ranked junior in the state of Oregon, will be at Washington this weekend to watch the highly anticipated rivalry game between the Ducks and Huskies, according to On3’s Chad Simmons.
“I’m excited to see the stadium filled up and the atmosphere with all the fans there,” Williams told Simmons. “I love the coaching staff because they treated me like family from day one.”
Williams from Portland Central Catholic is a four-star recruit, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
He also ranks as the top 2023 player in Oregon and the seventh-best tight end in the country. On3 ranks Williams as the No. 34 player overall and the second-best tight end in the nation.
Williams, who is 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, already has racked up major offers from Oregon, Oregon State, Ohio State, Washington, USC, Arizona State and others.
Riley Williams was big riser in expanded On300
When On3 expanded its 2023 rankings from a top 100 to the On300, Riley Williams shot up the charts. On3’s Senior National Recruiting Analyst Gerry Hamilton raved about Williams’ game.
“The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder is a fluid athlete at the position with an exceptional catch radius,” Hamilton wrote. “He’s a fast starter with the speed to work down the field, along with the agility to make the first defender miss after the catch. Williams saw his stock explode this summer and has added to that rising stock this season. He’s added six Power 5 offers since June, including USC and Ohio State.”
Washington gets chance to impress
Most intel with Riley Williams indicates the Ducks are very much in the driver’s seat to land the four-star prospect. That’s especially true with all the family connections with Oregon.
Two of Williams’ uncles – Emery Barnes (1950′s; inducted into Oregon Hall of Fame in 1998) and Ronald Williams (1970′s) – played for the Oregon Ducks football team, while his older brother, Korbin Williams, is currently on the team.
But with Washington is always a force with top targets in the Pacific Northwest. This Saturday will be the Huskies’ opportunity to make a push in the race.
Williams also told OregonLive early on in the process that’s he’s not opposed to carving his own path in college. He said he’s going into the recruiting process with an open mind and will weigh all of his options.
“I want to experience it myself, and I’m playing it by ear,” he said.