Tag: Izayia Williams

Four-star LB Izayia Williams names top five schools

Four-star recruit Izayia Williams has three SEC schools in his top five

Four-star linebacker recruit Izayia Williams announced the five schools and the Georgia Bulldogs made the class of 2026 star’s list. He also has the Penn State Nittany Lions, Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Florida State Seminoles among his top five schools.

The four-star recruit recently decommitted from the Florida State Seminoles. “I remember they weren’t that good in (2022) and then they got good the next year, but then they fell back down,” Williams told Noles247. “That’s not why I decommitted — because they were losing. I knew coaching changes were coming. They were saying they were going to get fired and I didn’t know who the next (assistant) coaches would be.”

Williams is still considering (and visiting) Florida State, but he’s keeping his options open since he has two years left to commit. The 6-foot-1, 205 pound linebacker from Leesburg, Florida, plays for Tavares High School. He was a part of the Under Armour All-American Game roster with Georgia signees Elijah Griffin and Juan Gaston.

Georgia is looking to improve their 2026 recruiting class from No. 14 in the nation. They have commitments from four-stars Vance Spafford and Lincoln Keyes, along with three-stars Jontavius Wyman and JUCO transfer Seven Cloud, but they’re looking for an elite linebacker.

Georgia’s linebacker room is suffering a major exodus this year. Jalon Walker and Smael Mondon both declared for the draft, and the Bulldogs lost Troy Bowles (Michigan), Samuel M’Pemba (Texas A&M), and Damon Wilson II (Missouri) via the transfer portal.

Four-star LB Izayia Williams names Alabama as one of his five finalists

Alabama named one of five finalists for No. 2 LB in 2026 recruiting cycle LB Izayia Williams.

When Kalen DeBoer accepted the head coaching position for the Alabama Crimson Tide the only concern people really had was his ability to recruit in the South. As a South Dakota native with coaching stops at Indiana, Fresno State and Washington it was probably a fair concern to have. However, DeBoer quickly proved it wouldn’t be an issue as he landed the No. 2 recruiting cycle in the 2025 class in his first year in Tuscaloosa.

With the 2025 cycle wrapping up, the attention is moving towards 2026. Right now, the Crimson Tide have just one commit in the class with four-star CB Zyan Gibson but they may have a second defensive addition coming in the following weeks as four-star LB Izayia Williams listed Alabama as one of his five finalists alongside Georgia, Penn State, Florida and Florida State.

Williams is ranked as the No. 2 LB in the 2026 class coming out of Leesburg, FL, and will likely become a five-star. The FL native was in Alabama for the Iron Bowl on an unofficial visit and will certainly be back again in the fall.

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LSU offers 4-star linebacker from Leesburg, Florida

There are no crystal ball projections to land Izayia Williams at this time, but Florida is a 99% favorite to land him according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his recruiting staff traveled to Leesburg, Florida, to extend a scholarship offer to a four-star linebacker.

[autotag]Izayia Williams[/autotag] is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound, four-star linebacker from Leesburg where he plays for Tavares High School. The Tavares Bulldogs open the 2024 season on the road against Citrus.

There are no crystal ball projections to land White at this time, but Florida is a 99% favorite to land him according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine. The Tigers will hope he joins a 2026 recruiting class that currently doesn’t feature any commitments.

Ratings

Stars National Position State
247 4 126 9 17
Rivals 4 241 18 –
ESPN 4 39 5 8
On3 4 41 3 6
247 Composite 4 96 7 16

Vitals

Hometown Leesburg, Florida
Position LB
Height 6’1
Weight 205
Class 2026

Recruitment

  • Offered on August 18, 2024
  • No visits yet

Offers

Recruitment Projections

  • Florida is a 99% favorite to land him per On3.
  • There are no crystal ball projections at this time.

Twitter

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Gators emerge as top school for 4-star 2026 linebacker

The Florida Gators have emerged as a leading candidate for four-star linebacker Izayia Williams.

Florida football has elevated itself as one of the top candidates for 2026 four-star linebacker Izayia Williams after he retracted his Syracuse commitment just a week ago.

Florida inside linebackers coach Ron Roberts went to Williams’ school back in May and made an offer to the 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound linebacker. So it is quite evident that Billy Napier and his staff hope to land the four-star defender.

Williams comes out of Leesburg (Florida) Tavares and could potentially be staying in-state for his collegiate career.

Top schools contending for Williams

Williams has made it clear that the Gators, Florida State and Miami are the “big dogs” in terms of the schools he would play for in the state of Florida.

“Those three keep in contact with me the most,” Williams told Swamp247. “I want to play football at a big school. Not to say UCF and them aren’t big schools in the state, but those three are the big dogs in Florida. They all do a good job keeping in contact with me them most.”

Williams also ranked those top three Florida schools.

“Florida is number one, Miami number two, and then Florida State is number three.”

What Williams likes about the Gators

Williams understands that academics play an important role and mentions that it’s not a guarantee that a player will make it to the NFL.

“I really like their academics,” Williams said. “It can’t be all about football, and I understand that not everyone is going to go to the NFL. I know I need to hit the books, but the football is good there too. They have good coaching there. One of my favorite things about them is the atmosphere they have there.”

Williams’ relationship with Florida’s coaches

“Getting to see Coach (Austin) Armstrong and the rest of the guys,” Williams said about the Florida coaches. “They have been calling me and talking to me. I talk with Coach Armstrong, Coach (Ron) Roberts, and I also talk with Coach (Cannon) Gibbs a lot too.”

Williams mentioned that Roberts reminded him of his high school head coach.

“Whenever I see (Roberts), he reminds me of my high school head coach. They are both good people that will coach you hard.”

Game day visit date

“I am definitely going to that Florida vs Miami game,” Williams said about potential Gator games he wants to see in Gainesville.

Williams pointed out that he mainly wanted to see the coaches coach and do their jobs.

“I’ve pretty much seen everything there [Florida], so I just want to see the coaches out there coaching in a big game in The Swamp when it’s loud. See how the players are with them.”

Recruiting Summary

Williams told Swamp247 that he isn’t sure when exactly his decision will be made but said, “Maybe around springtime next year.”

Williams is ranked No. 126 overall and No. 11 at his position nationally, according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 150 and 13, respectively.

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Florida earns RPM pick to flip 4-star LB committed to Syracuse

On3 gave the Gators an RPM pick for blue-chip linebacker Izayia Williams out of Leesburg, who is currently committed to the Syracuse Orange.

Florida football recently completed a flip of four-star defensive back [autotag]Demetres Samuel[/autotag] from an ACC school and appears to be perched to pounce on another from the same program.

Four-star linebacker Izayia Williams out of Leesburg (Florida) Tavares in the 2026 cycle is currently committed to the Syracuse Orange but has still entertained interest from elsewhere. The 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound defender welcomed inside linebackers coach [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] to his school back in May and came away with a pleasant surprise: an offer from the Orange and Blue.

Since then, the Gators have been pushing for the rising high school junior and their efforts appear to be coming to fruition. On3’s Corey Bender gave [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. a recruiting prediction machine pick for Williams on Thursday.

Justification for RPM pick

“For several months now, Williams has told Gators Online that Florida has the best shot at flipping him,” Bender begins. “That was reiterated again on Thursday and exactly a week after his latest experience in Gainesville.”

The Orange and Blue run deep with the in-state prospect and that has played a large role in favoring Florida for the flip.

“That is largely due to the Gators being Williams’ childhood-favorite program. That love for the SEC school is still very strong, with the defender saying this week he ‘grew up a Florida Gator.’ He also added that his commitment to Syracuse is currently ’50/50,’ so there is optimism in Gainesville right now.”

Florida’s flip outlook

“Going forward, Williams plans on attending Florida’s season opener against Miami,” Bender continues. “That strong level of familiarity definitely plays a factor, but linebackers coaches Ron Roberts and Cannon Gibbs are doing their job here. Williams’ relationship with them is as good as it gets.

“It’s early in the process, but the Gators are generating the most momentum with the 6-foot-1, 215-pound linebacker. The pieces are in place for a future flip.”

Recruiting Summary

Williams is ranked No. 126 overall and No. 11 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 150 and 13, respectively.

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Gators offer 4-star 2026 safety currently committed to ACC school

The Gators are playing catchup with this top defensive back in the 2026 cycle.

Florida football’s recruiting efforts have been in high gear of late — particularly in the 2025 cycle. Last week, coaches hit the road to visit the schools of some of the program’s coveted prep prospects and even handed out a scholarship offer to one unsuspecting recruit.

Four-star safety [autotag]Izayia Williams[/autotag] out of Leesburg (Florida) Tavares is currently committed to the Syracuse Orange but has still entertained interest from elsewhere. The 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound defensive back welcomed inside linebackers coach Ron Roberts to his school last Thursday and came away with a pleasant surprise: an offer from the Orange and Blue.

“I didn’t think they were interested at first,” Williams told Gators Online. “We went to a spring practice and they had somebody down there who committed or was on an official visit, so all the attention was on him and I didn’t talk to them like yet. I never kept in contact after, but then today they came by.”

While Williams is primarily a safety at the high school level, he is projected as a linebacker at the next level by many.

Recruiting Summary

Williams is ranked No. 20 overall and No. 2 at linebacker nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at No. 144 overall and No. 15 at safety.

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