Penn State makes the cut with Top 100 edge rusher Amaree Williams
Penn State is still in the mix with Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., edge rusher and On300 prospect Amaree Williams. Earning more than 30 scholarship offers over the past two years, Williams announced Thursday that he’s cut his list in half, narrowing it to 13 schools.
In addition to Penn State, Williams included Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and USC. So far, he’s visited nine of those 13 schools, with Penn State hosting Williams back in April.
“The biggest thing for me was just the relationships I was able to build with all of their coaches. I thought they were really cool when they would be talking to me,” Williams said earlier this year when asked about the visit.
“They never left my side. I could tell that they didn’t look at me as just another recruit. I had the offensive line coach, the defensive line coach, the safety coach all coming up to me, asking how I’m doing. You could tell that I’m really important to them and that’s a great feeling.”
Link: Four things we learned about Penn State recruiting in the month of October
Williams also spoke highly of Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes and graduate assistant Torrence Brown.
“Between Coach Barnes and Coach Brown, they’re both really good guys,” Williams said. “It’s nice having coaches who are kind of younger. I feel like they can relate on a different level. The level of chemistry we were able to build during the three days I was there was really good, I thought.
“But we stay in touch pretty regularly. I would say we talk every week or two so far. They don’t harass me about it, which is nice. They’ve both explained to me that they went through the same thing at one point, so we try to have a good balance with that.”
Williams is planning to visit USC this upcoming weekend for its game against Washington. He’ll then go to Kentucky’s game against Alabama on Nov. 11, followed by Ohio State’s home finale against Minnesota on Nov. 18. Williams told Blue White Illustrated previously that he’ll likely return to Penn State early in 2024.
According to the On3 Industry Ranking, which is a cumulative ranking between On3, 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN, Williams is the 80th-ranked prospect in the country. He’s the ninth-ranked edge rusher and No. 13 overall in Florida.
