5-star LB Jonah Williams set for next Ohio State visit

Galveston (Texas) Ball five-star linebacker Jonah Williams is fresh off a visit to Texas, and he has his next trip locked in.

Williams will head to Ohio State next weekend for an unofficial visit with the Buckeyes, he tells On3’s Steve Wiltfong. He previously visited the Buckeyes in November and already has an official visit locked in to Columbus on June 14 as well.

Ryan Day and his staff have been in pursuit of Williams for well over a year, extending him an offer last February as a safety under former defensive backs coach Perry Eliano.

The efforts have continued since the shakeup on the Buckeyes’ defensive staff this offseason, with Matt Guerrieri replacing Eliano at safeties coach and James Lauranitis being promoted to linebackers coach.

Buckeyes working to keep up with Texas, Oklahoma and others

Williams, a multi-sport star in both baseball and football, has a strong desire to play both at the next level.

If college coaches want to get into this recruitment, it’ll require an assist from their baseball program. Williams is a standout on the diamond as a left-handed pitcher and outfielder. How important is baseball to Williams?

“Very important,” Williams told InsideTexas. “I’ll be able to play both (football and baseball) at whatever school I choose to commit to, but baseball is a really big part of where I’ll go. USC, Oregon, OU, and Texas are schools that are great in both. Oklahoma is really big on letting me play both.”

The Buckeyes, whose baseball program last made an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019, will be battling some of the top programs across the country in both sports.

The Sooners currently stand as the heavy favorite to land Williams in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) after a slew of picks in their favor back in February.

They’re expected to receive an official visit this summer, and USC (May 30), LSU (June 7), Ohio State (June 14) and Oregon (June 21) are all already on the docket.