ATHENS — The time has finally come for Georgia inside linebacker Justin Williams to show what all that recruiting fuss was about.

Williams, at one time ranked the No. 1 linebacker in the nation — and No. 5 overall player in the 2024 class by the 247Sports composite — could be making his first career start when the Bulldogs take the field against Tennessee State on Saturday.

“I can say I’m very excited; I’ve been waiting a long time,” said Williams, who played in all 14 games last season and 12 as a true freshman.

“But that comes with coach (Kirby) Smart being able to trust in me. Without that trust, I wouldn’t be where I’m at. Hopefully I can prove to him he made the right decision.”

Those who aren’t close to the program might wonder what has taken so long for the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Williams to break into the starting rotation.

But Bulldogs fans know the names that lined up ahead of Williams, with three of those players now in the NFL (Smael Mondon, Jalon Walker and CJ Allen) along with current Georgia teammates Raylen Wilson and Chris Cole, a half-step ahead by position.

Williams is considered the heir apparent to Allen, a former teammate who grabbed a starting position late in his freshman season and fiercely defended it.

Smart has taken note of Williams’ efforts and shared as much at his opening-game week news conference Monday.

“Number one, he was an extremely high character kid from the first time we met him, (and) I remember he came to a Junior Day, and he was just all in,” Smart said. “He was in every competition we had. He was in the front line. He was smiling, laughing, and meeting other recruits.

“Just felt like a ball of energy, and that’s carried over into his play. He plays really hard, with a lot of passion and energy. He leads that way.”

Williams has the sort of athleticism that jumps out on the field, even among the Bulldogs’ star-studded defense.

Teammates credit him with being the “juice” guy in the defensive huddle, always quick with a pick-me-up with charismatic enthusiasm.

It surely was no accident that Smart chose Williams and running back Nate Frazier — a verbal leader in the offensive huddle — to spark the player press conferences in this game week.

The Bulldogs might be a six-touchdown favorite, but Smart will be counting on his team to take the field with energy, and Williams is eager to comply.

“You put a lot of work in the offseason and in-season, so we’re excited to go out there and lead the team,” Williams said. “We’re very excited to play somebody else, we’ve been playing the offense for a long time, even in the summer we were doing a lot against the offense.

“But as far as the defense, we’re excited to be connected and go show our passion on the field, and show the fans what they’ve paid for.”

Williams likely earns a player salary that reflects his abilities.

Indeed, Williams is among the talented players who have been marinating while awaiting their opportunity to break through, leading Smart to reinvest in retention rather than raid the transfer portal for prospects who have already proved their skills in more prominent Saturday action.

The Georgia head coach said as far back as the 2025 spring period that he sees Williams as “the kind of alpha you need at the inside linebacker position.”

Williams explained that he’s among the linebackers who might don a helmet with a green dot, which signals the one defensive player who has radio communication with the coaching staff between each play.

“Anybody in the linebacker room has to be prepared to be the green dot guy, no matter what,” Williams said. “You prepare like a starter, so everybody has to be prepared to be the green dot guy.”

It would seem returning starter Raylen Wilson might be more likely to start the game with the green dot helmet, but knowing Smart, others will have the opportunity should game circumstances dictate.

Williams said green dot responsibilities entail more than just receiving the defensive call via radio from defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann.

“It’s (also) formations, (and) what to be alert for,” Williams said. “Coach (is) yelling in your ear and telling you different things; two voices in your head at the same time.”

The voice Williams hears from within on game days is to play fast.

“I think the speed of the game — you can only get that in a game, you can’t really do that in practice,” Williams said. “When you’re in the game, nothing compares to when you’ve got to go fastball (defense against no-huddle offense), and they get lined up, and you’ve got to make a play call.

“That’s what you have to prepare for is the speed of the game.”

Offenses will certainly be prepared for Georgia’s No. 19, as Williams looks to provide a positive impact early and often.

“He had a lot of opportunities to play last year, and he’s going to get more opportunities to play,” Smart said. “He needs to play well and tackle well. He plays fast, and he plays physical.”