UGA quickly earns final official visit from a 6-foot-7 prospect with 40-plus offers
The news wasn’t good on the offensive line front yesterday for UGA. The Bulldogs saw one of their longest-tenured commitments re-open his recruiting process.
That parting might not have been mutual, but there is good news coming out of the nation’s capital from a prospect who goes by the name “Big Baby.”
That’s 4-star offensive tackle Jauan Williams. The 6-foot-7, 310-pounder from Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) has received more than 40 scholarship offers and — as unlikely as it sounds — has suddenly gotten very interested in UGA rather quickly.
“I think he has settled on going to Georgia as one of his official visits now,” Archbishop Carroll coach Rob Harris said.
New UGA line coach Sam Pittman visited Williams on Tuesday. It sounds safe to say the two hit if off. According to Harris, he’s expected to spend his final official visit weekend at UGA on Jan. 29.
“He said he had some relationships with a few coaches that came in on the new (Georgia) coaching staff and he wanted to experience and explore the option of being there,” Harris said.
He’s rated as the nation’s No. 16 offensive tackle, but his coach still feels his recruiting is very “wide open” heading into the final two weeks of the official visit window.
“With the visits he is taking you could definitely say his recruiting is wide open,” Harris said. “I am sure that Georgia has a legitimate chance at winning him over and winning his Mom over. If they do those things, then you have got a player.”
That “Big Baby” nickname comes from his obvious body type but also his gentle and “happy go lucky” nature.
“Tremendous upside as he is still learning the game,” Harris said. “Massive human being. Can move and run like a tight end but can definitely play tackle. Great feet. Very athletic. Great flexibility. Just stick his leg behind his head.”
Quick things to know about Williams
- He was an Under Armour All-American
- Has already taken an official visit to Florida State and he’s at LSU now
- Florida seems like a contender as he has taken at least a few unofficial visits to that campus
- Harris felt his mother was a key figure in his recruiting, but she’s not on the LSU visit. His uncle is joining him on that trip.
- Oklahoma and Miami are also contenders for his last three official visits
- He has a 2.4 GPA, but has already qualified
- Local powers like Maryland and Virginia Tech are in the picture but are not being considered as heavily as the schools he is now visiting
Superb home visit with coach Pittman/ Georgia❤️ #au #dawgs #uga #GoDawgs #Georgia pic.twitter.com/upS168RaAd
— Jäûäñ Wįłłïåmš (@Jauan_Jwill) January 20, 2016
Unless otherwise indicated, player rankings and ratings are from the 247Sports Composite.
Jeff Sentell covers UGA football and UGA recruiting for AJC.com and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow him on Twitter for the latest on who’s on their way to play Between the Hedges.