2024 4-star RB Aneyas Williams commits to Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman: 'I believe in him'

Hannibal (Mo.) four-star running back Aneyas Williams has made five visits to Notre Dame since April. Something kept drawing him back to the Fighting Irish.

“As many recruits would say, you know when you know,” Williams told On3. “It was one of those moments with Notre Dame for me, for sure. Just after the camp, working with (running backs) coach (Deland) McCullough. The three times I came back, the vibe always felt the same. It stuck with me that it wasn’t a one-time thing. I came back and it was consistent. The feeling was consistent. The people were consistent.”

Williams felt the love from Notre Dame, so he decided to don the blue-and-gold. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound tailback announced his commitment to head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff on Friday night.

After an 8-4 season, Williams trusts the direction of the Fighting Irish under Freeman. The Missouri native is confident that Notre Dame’s head coach can take the program to great heights in the future.

“I believe in him a lot,” said Williams, the No. 140 overall prospect and No. 13 running back in the 2024 On3 Consensus. “I think he’s got what it takes, for sure, just the way he presents himself to his players, not only himself as an individual, but just as a leader, as a coach. I think he’s done a good job of developing a family (among) individuals. What he’s doing offensively and what he’s doing defensively, I think teams know. It’s pretty straightforward. They’re gonna run the ball, but Freeman and (offensive coordinator) Tommy (Rees), they’ve found ways to just throw it around. And then defensively, they’re building the defense. The defense is there. You gotta just fill a couple pieces.”

Williams believes he can make a quick impact in South Bend

Williams is now the seventh commit in Notre Dame’s 2024 recruiting class. The versatile prospect is joining a group that already has commitments from three top-200 offensive recruits: Saline (Mich.) four-star quarterback CJ Carr, Glen Ellyn (Ill.) Glenbard South four-star wide receiver Cam Williams and Charlotte (N.C.) Charlotte Catholic four-star tight end Jack Larsen.

A 5-foot-10, 195-pound tailback, Williams believes South Bend “fits me perfectly.” He chose the Fighting Irish among nine other finalists and took multiple visits, which further affirmed his decision.

McCullough helped Notre Dame seal the deal for Williams. The two had “fun” with one another and got along quickly.

“It’s so hard to just click with guys, but it was different with him from getting coached from him at the camp to now,” Williams said. “From that point to this point, it’s been the same and the connectiveness, it’s surprisingly getting stronger. In his background, he speaks for himself. A big thing that stuck out to me and all my coaches is that he does what he says he’ll do. That’s big to me. He told me he was gonna have three running backs this year and they all were gonna go for 700 (yards). They all went, I think, (for) at least 800. Just knowing that what he says he’s gonna do, he’s gonna do and then immediately, he expects me to come in and be a big-time player.”

Williams will still allow other schools to contact him. However, he acknowledged that it won’t be easy to flip him from Notre Dame. He already talks to everyone in the Fighting Irish’ 2024 class.

“I’m not gonna say, ‘Don’t text me. Don’t call me,'” Williams said. “I’ll keep my inbox open. But it’s going to take a lot to persuade me, for sure, because I know what’s there.”