Devin Williams, Peach State cornerback, signs with Auburn

Cornerback Devin Williams of Buford (Ga.) signed with Auburn on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period. 

The Williams File

Position: Cornerback

Height/Weight: 5-9.5 / 160 pounds

Notable trait/Auburn fit: Williams is undersized, but he is a big time playmaker on the highest level of Georgia high school football. Williams is good in coverage, but he really shines as a receiver. He could project at either in his Auburn career.  

On3 Industry Ranking: (88.70) No. 472 overall, No. 46 cornerback, No. 64 in Georgia

Commitment date: Feb. 26, 2024

Chose Auburn over: Notre Dame, Texas

Time of enrollment: January

Notable: Williams was supposed to make a trip up to Notre Dame, but decided to keep it closer to home and see Auburn instead. When he visited Auburn, he hit it off with Wesley McGriff, the Tigers’ cornerbacks coach. Williams would commit not long after that. He stuck with it despite a summer push from Texas.

Quoteworthy: “Man, I just feel like my relationship with Coach Crime is just different. I feel like they’re turning it around here and coming close to being a contending team with Bama and Georgia. They came really close to beating them. You know, just two years ago they weren’t doing the best. But, I feel like Hugh Freeze is really turning it around here. I could be a part of something special.”

Film Breakdown

***Film breakdown written by Auburn Live Analyst Cole Pinkston..

— Williams is a 5-foot-9.5 160 pound playmaker who is due for a highlight at receiver or corner on the high school level. 

— Williams does not have the big time frame, nor does he have elite length, but he plays with a high level of ball skills. He has elite tracking ability when the ball is in the air.

— Williams’ most impressive tapes is at receiver. The concentration, focus, and body control to be able to make plays on the ball in the air is impressive.

— For Auburn, Williams will grow into a field corner. He is smaller and has great pursuit skills to go with his ball skills. He will fit well in a man coverage spot at corner.

— On offense, Williams shows excellent agility in route running. He also shows the ability to take the top off and pull away from back end defenders. That speed and agility will translate well to playing in coverage. 

— Williams stands out in this category with his timing. He is great at breaking on the ball, but usually more from a timing standpoint rather than a pure ability standpoint. He is in good position most of the time. 

— Williams understands angles well. He takes the appropriate angles to make plays on the ball as well. 

— His ability to play in tight coverage while not interfering is encouraging. He doesn’t bully his opponents well, but knows how to bump them closer to the boundary closing their space to make plays. Williams is a smart coverage player and that is his true value.

— Williams trails defenders at times. He usually always recovers well, but if he gets behind in coverage on the next level, it will be trouble. Tightening up that man coverage technique will take his game up a level. 

Before Williams is able to make a splash in the SEC, he will need to bulk up some. His frame is not meant to add a lot of weight, but he needs a solid 8-10 more pounds before he can be thrown into the SEC fire. Again, he is only junior in high school at the moment and will have plenty of time to get to the appropriate weight. 

Even when that happens, Williams is more suited to play in coverage and utilize his speed. Therefore, size won’t be a big hindrance for him on the next level so long as he continues to cover well. With the elite hands and ball skills, Williams is on his way to being a big time corner in the SEC in time.