Georgia Bulldogs 23 for '23: No. 5 Mykel Williams
SEC Media Days are completely behind us, and with that the focus is very quickly turning to the football field. Georgia fall camp begins in less than two weeks, and we’re counting down the days with out look at who the most important Bulldogs might be.
As we’ve stated before, important can have different definitions. Some players’ importance for this season is based on their past performance and ability to repeat that this fall. For others, it’s about their potential and what living up to it would mean for Georgia and its chances at winning a third straight National Championship. Now into the top five, coming in at No. 5 on our list of most important Bulldogs, defensive lineman Mykel Williams.
Mykel Williams
Position: Defensive Lineman
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 265 pounds
Hometown (High School): Columbus, Ga. (Hardaway)
Mykel Williams was outstanding as a freshman, and he should get even better as a sophomore with a year of experience under his belt.
The five-star recruit out of Hardaway came into Athens and made an instant impact. An early enrollee, Williams got his feet wet before starting the first two games of the year for Georgia. While Tramel Walthour ended up getting the starts the rest of the way, it was Williams who statistically had a better season.
Williams led the Bulldogs in sacks with 4.5. Of those, two came in the College Football Playoffs as he managed to take down both CJ Stroud (Ohio State) and Max Duggan (TCU) in route to a second straight Bulldogs title. That matchup against the Buckeyes in the Peach Bowl also happened to be Williams’ season-high for tackles as he recorded five of his 28 on New Year’s Eve.
Expectations are already high for Williams. Some folks are talking about him as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft when his time comes in 2025. Pro Football Focus believed that he would have been picked in the first round after his freshman season if it wasn’t for eligibility rules. All that’s to say, hopes are high for him going forward.
Williams will have to shake off a foot injury that required surgery and ended his spring practice early, but head coach Kirby Smart says that he expects him to be at full speed for the start of fall camp. According to Smart, it was a surgery that had been building, and all involved parties felt that it was the right time to get the procedure done.
Can Williams up his sack total and lead Georgia once again? There’s a strong chance for the outstanding sophomore who will without a doubt be important to Georgia’s chances at a three-peat this fall.
Know the Quote
“Mykel has been — he will be full go by fall camp. He is not full go currently, but he’s had a great rehab, work in progress. I mean, I’ve gotten to see him run some during the agility stuff we get to go view. He’s not back completely yet, but he’s ahead of the other two you mentioned — Branson and Smael.”
Click here to find the complete rundown of our 23 for ’23 series
