The Michigan football offense may be run-heavy, but it certainly still needs pass catchers to make the thing go. And the Wolverines have their eye on one player who fits the mold of receivers they’ve had over the past few years.
The pitch to 2025 Red Oak (Tx.) four-star wideout Taz Williams Jr. is that he would look a lot like Roman Wilson if he were to don the winged helmet. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound receiver is interested in finding out more about what the new-look maize and blue offense will be like when he comes to Ann Arbor for his June 21 official visit.
But he’s already got a strong interest in Michigan and he’s looking to build upon his pre-existing relationships there.
“It’s a lot of things. The head coach – the head coaching change. The offensive coach becoming the head coach now,” Williams told WolverinesWire. “I have a great relationship with the coaches and the new O.C. It’s crazy because me and him are from Pittsburgh, PA, so I just thought that was cool and that’s a good connection right there already. It’s increased my relationship with them. To have someone with the same hometown as me, that’s real.
“And I like the offense, also. The offensive coach – Coach (Kirk Campbell).”
In terms of being like Roman Wilson, what does that look like? How has Michigan pitched him?
According to Williams, he’s intrigued, because he knows that if the pitch becomes reality, it will certainly propel him to the professional ranks once his college career is done.
“They see me as an outside-inside guy that can do it all,” Williams said. “It’s basically how they used Roman. That’s how I’d describe it, how they used Roman. They used him outside-inside, they get him the ball, they try to get playmakers the ball. So they told me they’d get me the ball in different ways so I won’t get schemed by the defense – it will be easier. To get to the next level in the league, it makes you more marketable being able to play multiple positions – to play inside-outside, outside-in.”
Williams did have official visits set up to Ohio State on May 31 and Alabama on June 14, according to 247Sports, but he says those are off the books. He’s only going to visit Texas A&M on June 6 and Penn State on June 14.
Ideally, he’ll make a commitment to his school of choice in late summer. But what is his criteria for his next school?
Primarily, he is steadfast in his choice of major, but also wants to make sure he fits the scheme offensively as well as has a good campus life once he arrives.
“I want to major in business and real estate development – I want to make sure I’m in a great area with that. And great connections with the real estate people,” Williams said. “Real estate, that’s real big and that connection is right there. Obviously, like I said before, how I fit in the offense. I want to be used in a great way and I want to be used in different ways, also. Just how campus life is, to be honest. Campus life and how I’d actually be as an actual student on campus as a student-athlete.”
Williams is rated the highest by Rivals, which has him listed as the No. 127 player in the country, regardless of position. There, he’s also the No. 23 wide receiver and No. 21 player in the state of Texas.
Here is what he had to say about his impending visits to Texas A&M and Penn State.
Texas A&M
“Coach Wig and I have a great relationship already, since he was at Alabama. I really like the offense that Coach Klein and – he’s a great O.C. to be playing (for). Especially my position. Coach Elko, he has an open door policy, and I like that about the head coach. That’s something that’s on my list that I want from a head coach.”
Penn State
“Like I said about Michigan, I fit into the offense. They just got a new O.C., he was at Kansas. And he’s a great O.C., too. He be dialing it up, airing it out. So just seeing where I fit in his scheme, his offense.”