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WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. — Michigan was the first big school to come after 2022 West Bloomfield (MI) athlete Michael Williams, and it’s been persistent in letting him know it wants him to be a Wolverine.
His recruitment at the moment is just heating up, but with offers from schools such as Maryland, Cincinnati and West Virginia, it’s the maize and blue that Williams is hearing from most.
“The whole state of Michigan is showing me a lot of love,” Williams said. “They’ve been showing the most love out of any school so far.
“U of M, in particular – they’re showing a lot of love.”
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Williams has been a frequent visitor on campus, whether it be for football or basketball games.
While he’s visited Notre Dame, among others, he’s building the strongest foundation with the staff in Ann Arbor at the moment, and that seems to be paying early dividends in his recruitment.
“They invite me to a lot of games,” Williams said. “When I go up there, I get to talk to coaches. It’s a good relationship. Everything is amazing. I love it.”
That said, despite not yet having a Michigan State offer — though new head coach Mel Tucker will certainly make his own evaluations — he’s heard from them in the Dantonio era, as well.
As WolverinesWire asked him about what stands out about Michigan, and the word ‘almost’ certainly created an interesting view on his recruitment.
“The atmosphere at Michigan – it’s crazy,” Williams said. “As soon as you show up, you can just tell why it’s almost the best school in the state. It’s just amazing when you show up.”
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So, which is it? Michigan or MSU?
“I like Michigan a lot,” Williams said. “Right now, they are the best school in the state.
“Really, I grew up in a mixed-school household. My mom went to Michigan, my dad went to State. So it’s either way, really. But right now, Michigan’s showing a lot of love, so I’m going with Michigan right now.”
We’re calling Williams an ‘athlete’ as of current. He’s rated by the recruiting services as a linebacker, but he’s much more versatile than that.
He explains where Michigan sees him fit, and ultimately, it depends on when he stops growing as a human.
“Right now, it’s really whatever I grow into – that’s what I’m pretty sure it is,” Williams said. “If I grow some, I could be tight end, but if I keep where I am now, I could play D-end or H-back. It could be a lot of things.”
Does he have a preference? Not at the moment.
“I really don’t know, because my whole life, I played a lot of positions,” Williams said. “Right now, I’m doing pretty good at tight end. But I want to grow a little bit more. I’m gonna like doing that.”
Williams intends to continue striving in the weight room to become bigger, faster and stronger before he gets to that point where he puts pen to paper on whichever signing day he chooses.
As far as his recruitment, there’s only one thing he knows: he wants to make sure he sees a lot of options before he makes his final decision. Given that he’s a 2022 recruit, that means his choice is some ways off.
“I definitely want to take all five of my official visits before I think about committing,” Williams said. “I don’t think it’s gonna be a long recruitment. I think it’s gonna be right in the middle.”
Once it comes down to it, Williams won’t be looking for flash or panache as the reason why he picks a school.
As he tells WolverinesWire, a lot of his decision criteria has been imparted upon him from his parents.
“Pretty much just a school that’s gonna be like a second home to me,” Williams said. “That’s what my parents always taught me: don’t just go to a school because they have nice jerseys or whatever. Go to them because the coaches love you and the feel like a home to you.”
