ATHENS — In terms of playing time, Justin Williams is Georgia’s fourth option at linebacker.
Yet his spot on the depth chart at this point in time has done little to influence his outlook and disposition.
“He’s probably the most positive guy over there. Every game we’re in, he’s in somebody’s ear cheering them on,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “He’s on the special teams, cheering them on. He’s just a joy to be around and a joy to coach because he’s full of positive energy.”
That positivity seems to be paying off for Williams, as the sophomore has seen an uptick in his role in recent weeks.
Only CJ Allen played more snaps among Georgia linebackers than Williams against Kentucky. He had a career-best six tackles on Saturday and has a tackle for loss in back-to-back games.
“I would just say working hard on the things I need to fix, just getting with coach (Glenn) Schumann, getting to film more, staying after hours and working on my game,” Williams said. “That’s really helped me just stay focused on the things that I need to focus on and help me get on the field, I believe.”
Williams arrived at Georgia with great expectations. He was the No. 1-ranked linebacker prospect in the country for the 2024 cycle, picking Georgia over Oregon and Texas.
Fellow sophomore Chris Cole made a quicker impact at Georgia. Cole leads Georgia in sacks this season.
Williams and Cole are best friends and the emergence of Cole has only pushed Williams to up his game.
The Georgia defense is reaping the benefits of that friendship.
“Me and Chris, we’ve been going at it since we got here,” Williams said. “I mean, since we first got here, we really, we’re going at it. So that’s gonna continue to go, no matter how old we are. We’re 70 years old, we’re still gonna be going after them. So that’s gonna never change.”
In recent weeks, Allen has seen Williams turn a corner all while keeping that same positive energy.
“So much growth and so much confidence,” Allen said. “And he’s a great, great energy guy. He keeps the energy going. He’s the loudest, you know, and he backs it up for sure. So I’m proud of him for sure.”
Williams’ intangibles have always been admired. When you pair that with the recent improvements he’s made, his on-field ability seems to be catching up to his off-field talents.
“Well he’s always been very competitive,” Smart said. “He embodies our FPE. He plays hard. He’s instinctive. I enjoy Justin, and he’s grown up. He’s getting better. He’s getting strong. He’s getting more physical. He’s very instinctive, and we need him to keep playing more snaps, so we can divide those snaps up among those guys better.”
When told of Smart’s praise, Williams flashed a big smile. He knows the Georgia coach rarely doles out compliments and appreciates that the normally fiery Smart would say something positive about him.
Williams understands that football can be both hard and violent. When you’re not playing, it’s easy to take a glass-half-empty approach to things.
But Williams elects to keep a positive outlook. That mindset has helped him get to this point.
His positivity should only have a bigger impact in the games to come.
“My mom’s always told me I got a great smile, so just always be positive, use that, don’t show the negative side of you,” Williams said. “It’s not always gonna be sunshine and rainbows. But as long as you can focus on the positive side, not really focus on the negative, you’ll learn to just be positive and be happy.”
