The Wisconsin Badgers have made quite the splash after flipping Jaylen Williams away from his Michigan Wolverines commitment.
The Badgers have long pursued multiple players in the 2025 class despite them having named commitments to different schools. The persistence worked for the Wisconsin Badgers when it came to landing Williams, who was eventually convinced enough to jump ship and leave the Wolverines. Williams is an Illinois native and had been one of the top recruits Michigan had landed in the 2025 class with a four-star rating and a national ranking of 279th.
Williams stands in at 6-feet-6-inches, roughly 265-pounds with an incredible balance between strength and speed. The lengthy build of Williams allows the defender to quickly get off the line and make an impact in the backfield. His primary rushing moves all involve his speed and length, with the defender typically blowing past either side of the lineman.
When it comes down to the nitty-gritty, Williams is a grinder with a high-motor and has been no stranger to powering through all kinds of adversity. The defender has an incredible ability to read plays as well, and always seems to find his way around the football regardless of where the play ends. Even when Williams is contained, between his speed and vision the defender is a difficult player to completely eliminate from each play.
What the Wisconsin Badgers really like about Williams is his willingness to continue to work through whatever the play throws at him. The tenacity and ability to engage in gritty battles with opposing blockers is something that has really impressed the staff. Williams is a tall, long player even with pads on and does not look quite as menacing as his play is.
What are the Wisconsin Badgers Getting With New Commitment Jaylen Williams?
While Williams is an incredible land for Wisconsin, the defender will still need some work before making a huge impact at the next level. Williams is a tad slow in terms of technical development and has relied on his physical skills at times, which will not work against much bigger offensive linemen in college. Aside from his shedding ability, there is not much left for Williams to truly improve before hitting collegiate football next season.
For the Wisconsin Badgers, the next step with Williams is going to be developing the defender technically for the next level. As a raw prospect, Williams still does not necessarily understand when to utilize different tools inside of his arsenal of moves.
Learning just this small aspect of play can really turn Williams into a more efficient pass-rusher next season. Understanding different technical abilities can allow for Williams to utilize the least amount of energy required to achieve the goal of stopping the play.
If Wisconsin can develop Williams in regards to his technical skills, then the recruit can truly turn into a monster of a defender on the field.
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