Scout's Take: What Georgia is getting in Five-Star Plus+ LB Justin Williams

Glenn Schumann and Georgia have been developing linebackers at a level unlike pretty much any program in college football over the past few years, and on Monday, the Bulldogs won out over Oregon for Five-Star Plus+ linebacker Justin Williams.

His commitment marks the third time in the past five years that Georgia has landed the nation’s the top inside linebacker and their sixth five-star pledge at that position in the same time frame.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder brings dynamic athleticism to a defense that has been full of exactly that under Schumann and Kirby Smart.

“Justin Williams has a strong argument as the most athletic linebacker in the 2024 cycle,” On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power said. “This guy can absolutely fly. I think it’s where you have to start. He is hyper-athletic, a guy who has run one of the best 40 times on the camp circuit this summer. He ran a 4.44 electronically timed 40-yard dash at the UC Report Houston Camp. I mean, that is a phenomenal time, and he plays that fast as well and backs that up on the track.”

Williams has blossomed into the nation’s best linebacker

Initially starting out as a safety at Conroe (Texas) Oak Ridge, Williams made the transition to linebacker as a junior last fall. He flourished in that spot, notching 105 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

In February, he was a major riser in the updated On300 rankings, moving up into the top-40 prospects nationally. And after his showing throughout the spring and summer, he jumped into five-star status and into the spot as the nation’s top linebacker earlier this month. Now, he sits as one of 10 Five-Star Plus+ prospects in the cycle, signifying that he is rated a five-star by all four major recruiting services.

“He’s a guy who makes a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage and runs sideline to sideline with ease,” Power said. “This is a guy who can play in the box, he can stack and shed against the run. He has pretty good size, and he’s continued to put on a really good weight when you see him in person. There is no bad weight on his frame. He’s around 6’2 and 210 pounds, and I think he has room to continue getting bigger.”

Best football is still ahead of him

That area is where Power thinks there’s the biggest room for improvement with Williams: putting on good weight and retaining the athleticism that makes him such an electric playmaker.

“He can just make a lot of conventional linebacker plays, but one area where he needs to keep getting better is probably just this overall strength, including his take-on strength as a tackler,” Power added.

… That should come as he keeps getting better. But man, he’s a guy who’s very impressive physically. You see him move around, and there’s so much to like. He’s another big get for Georgia as they continue to stack talent at that position.”