Five-star DL Mykel Williams making a case for No. 1 ranking?

SAN ANTONIO – Columbus (Ga.) Hardaway five-star defensive lineman Mykel Williams keeps finding a new level.

The Georgia signee came into the All-American Bowl as the No. 21 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus rankings. He was the No. 4 overall player in the On3 rankings.

Williams has put together two dominant days at the All-American Bowl that has created a buzz. He earned the On3 MVP for the East squad during Tuesday’s week-opening practice.

Williams has been a terror in one-on-ones on both days and the brief team drills on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Williams was beaten by Notre Dame signee Billy Schrauth and it seemed to ignite the Georgia signee. He broke out a bag of tricks and didn’t lose another one-on-one rep.

On3 Director of Scouting Charles Power has Williams’ performance in the first two days as one of the most dominant he’s seen at an event like the All-American Bowl.

“It’s as impressive of a defensive line showing that I’ve seen in one of these settings in a while,” Power said. “It’s at or near the top.”

On3 scouts praise Mykel Williams

Williams’ 6-foot-5, 265-pound frame makes him a candidate to slide up and down the Georgia defensive front.

Both Power and On3 Senior National Recruiting Analyst Gerry Hamilton are high on Williams’ versatility as well as his intangibles.

Power: “He’s had a dominant first two days, outside of quarterbacks, he’s been the best player here, maybe overall but if you separate the quarterbacks he’s been probably the best prospect and player here. He can play all over the line. We’ve seen his projection if he does play inside. He has the ability to be a dominant interior pass rusher in addition to playing on the edge in high school. The first-step quickness, the active hands, he’s got long arms. He plays with a high motor. Williams is very competitive.”

Hamilton: “Speed to power is high-end elite. I think he’s a guy who is going to be similar to Travon Walker long-term as a guy you could see on the edge, but at Georgia, he’s not an edge player. He’s athletic enough to stand up at times, but his frame may be too big for him to stand up. He’s going to be a guy that can play the run and rush the passer in the Georgia scheme. I think he has proven that he is one of the top handful of players in this 2022 class this week.”

Plenty of contenders for No. 1

Williams certainly has competition for the No. 1 spot despite a strong early showing at All-American Bowl practices.

The current No. 1 player at On3 is Georgia edge signee Marvin Jones Jr. Behind Jones at No. 2 is dynamic two-way star Travis Hunter, who signed with Jackson State. Hunter is simply electric on either side of the ball

A pair of defensive linemen currently sandwich Williams at No. 4. Texas A&M signee Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, an ultra athletic defensive lineman, currently sits at No. 3 while uncommitted Shemar Stewart ranks No. 5. All have a case for the top stop overall.

Quarterback is the game’s most important position, and there is a great deal of value placed on elite signal callers. Could Penn State signee Drew Allar, the nation’s top-ranked quarterback, make the leap from No. 12 to No. 1? His performance at All-American Bowl has also been impressive.

The jockeying for No. 1 will sort itself out the rest of the All-American Bowl week.