There is a buzz surrounding Georgia football defensive lineman Mykel William as the true freshman continues to impress.
Comparisons to Travon Walker are enough to raise eyebrows, but his actions rather than words are catching the attention of the most senior members of the football program.
At SEC Media Days, head coach Kirby Smart gave him high praise for the way Williams has gone about business since arriving on campus.
Smart’s story about Williams should excite fans because his work ethic matches the defense’s standards. It’s not every day that a freshman shows this kind of initiative, so this could be one of the next elite defenders for the Dawgs.
Georgia football freshman Mykel Williams is already turning heads in Athens due to his incredible work ethic.
Williams has a prime opportunity to earn significant playing time in 2022, not just because he is exceptionally talented but because he is taking it upon himself to grow as a player.
"something special"@KirbySmartUGA on @MykelWilliams_
— Rusty Mansell (@RustyMansell_) July 20, 2022
The Dawgs are looking for young players to step up on the defensive front, and with Smart seeing him work by himself after the team’s workouts, it could help him move up the lineup.
"“Number one thing that stands out about him is his work ethic,” Smart said during his SEC Media Days press conference. “I look out my window, and I see him out there doing extra after every practice. I left work the other day on a Sunday, and he’s out there hitting a sled on Sunday. When you have a freshman that’s out there on Sunday on his own, on turf, 115 degrees out there, he’s out there striking a sled — something special”."
Those comparisons to Walker stem from his versatility, and it isn’t crazy to make that comparison. If Williams can become anything like Walker, it’ll be fantastic for Georgia.
The question for this upcoming season will be where on the defensive line he fits in and how the Dawgs can utilize his skills. As we know from experience, this is a position that takes time to mature into but the signs, albeit early, are good.
He got recruited as an excellent pass rush defender, and at 6-5 and 265-pounds, he has the size to stop almost anything that comes his way. Scouting reports also highlight that he played as an interior lineman in high school. The fact that Georgia could use him all over the line shows how talented he is and should increase his odds of playing a lot.
So it seems there are several options for how Georgia could use Williams in this upcoming season, which Smart confirmed.
"“He’s talented. I’m excited for him,” Smart said. “I can’t say what his role is going to be right now because I don’t know fully which way we’ll use him, where we’ll play him.”"
Catching the boss’s eye with your work ethic is never a bad thing during the early days of your new career.
While it may take some shuffling of the pack around, I would like to see Williams and Nolan Smith pair up on the edge, which could make for a dynamic pair.
Whether the defensive coaching staff takes that chance with a freshman remains to be seen; however, playing with Smith — a true leader of this team — would be nothing other than beneficial to Williams’ development. We will soon find out during fall camp.
Smart also noted that he’s not just a great athlete but has the character off the field to go with it. Williams comes from a great family and a talented high school program that prepared him for college. Those things help kids prepare to play in their first year of college.
High praise indeed for the true freshman trying to solidify his spot on the front seven. It seems like Williams is on the right track from how Smart speaks about him, which should help eliminate some of the doubts fans have about this defense.