No. 1 LB recruit Izayia Williams motivated following knee injury

The high school run for Izayia Williams may have come to a close.

The Tavares (Fla.) High School star, ranked the No. 1 linebacker recruit nationally by Rivals, suffered a knee injury during the program’s spring football game in May.

“In the spring game I made a tackle and twisted a little bit,” Williams told Rivals. “It hurt super bad and was achy. After that I was practicing and doing more stuff on it…

“Now my plan is to have doctors take another look and figure out the plan after I heal.”

While the initial diagnosis is feared to be a major injury, a second opinion will be executed early next week before any further action is taken.

“After that rehab, I’m gonna hit strength and conditioning hard,” he said. “I get a couple of months to focus on myself. I want to be better than I was, especially mentally.

“I want to be there for my teammates, too. I can still provide leadership this season.”

The explosive Ole Miss football commitment, who played and flashed in the Under Armour All-America Game in January, is likely out for the 2025 football season.

Williams remains coveted nationally

While the injury news dampers the immediate future surrounding Williams, his college football recruitment remains highly contested.

He picked Ole Miss back in May, weeks before the injury.

“As of right now, it’s still strong,” Williams said of his status with the Rebels. “It’s all a process right now. I think a few programs want me to visit, but only time will tell.”

Williams took several official visits beyond the commitment window, including to Georgia, Florida and USF.

North Carolina, Florida State, Texas and others have either hosted the four-star or inquired about in-season visits on their end.

Rivals tabs Williams as the No. 27 player in America for the 2026 class, No. 3 within the state of Florida.