Growing up in Georgia, most high-level football recruits have their pick of schools and campus locations. Athens, Gainesville, Tuscaloosa, even Tallahassee. For Seth Williams (6-3, 190), the push was more to the east.
On Tuesday, the Atlanta defensive back committed to Clemson, choosing the Tigers over Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa State, and others.
Clemson wasn’t just his dream school, but it also has a lineage of defenders who grew up in Georgia and made it to the next level. For Williams specifically, the Lakeside HS standout idolizes the Terrell brothers, most specifically, Avieon. Like Williams, Terrell was an under-the-radar prospect but put together a strong collegiate career and is considered a high draft pick by most NFL analysts.
“Avieon and I, we speak from time to time, but I definitely chop it up with Avieon; you know, we speak ball,” Williams said. “Just seeing how they develop guys, like seeing his development going from a kid just like me with only three stars, and then now he’s going to the first round.”
Williams was on campus earlier this month, and he knew quickly that Clemson was the place to be. He was able to check out the campus, the facilities, and everything in between. Afterwards, he was sold.
“It felt like home,” he explained. “It’s everything you think it would be. So when it’s something like that, and it’s that important to my family and me, and that decision of where I want to spend the next three to four years of my life and my academic and my athletic career, it was really easy making the selection.”
Williams made his second trip to the Upstate on Tuesday, and the feeling in the building was that everyone knew what he was coming to do. Clemson officially offered him, and he committed on the spot.
He’s excited to join a class that continues to grow, and he believes this group of prospects is coming together under the right circumstances.
“I feel like Coach Swinney has put together a wonderful class,” Williams gushed. “We got some guys, and a lot of them are from Georgia. So, just adding another guy in there and just people who want to be around the program and not just there for the money.”
Williams feels like Clemson fans are getting a versatile prospect who can play anywhere in the secondary. He believes the Tigers have landed one of the best players in the country, and is confident that his tape speaks for itself.
“I’m a ball player,” he boasted. “In the secondary, I can play anywhere. You can see the instincts, the ball skills, the tackling, the speed, the height, the size, and the big hits. You’re getting one of the best players in the state of Georgia and one of the best players in the country. So don’t look at the stars. Just turn on the film, watch the tape, and then you come back and tell me how you feel about it.”