Mykel Williams locked in on learning, performing ahead of 'huge year'

DALLAS — Mykel Williams is making a move into a different role this season, and the junior defender hopes it means he’s able to show the world what he’s capable of.

Notice I said defender, not defensive lineman or outside linebacker. Edge defender might be the most appropriate considering where Williams is expected to line up, but it won’t come as a surprise if he’s inside the tackles some still. It’s all just part of the versatile skillset he possesses and the different ways in which Georgia’s defense uses his talents.

“It’s a huge year for him,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said about Williams at SEC Media Days. “He wasn’t healthy at the start of camp last year. He never really got a great camp, and I’ve said it repeatedly, one thing I know as a coach is, when you miss all of camp and then just shoot in to start the season, it doesn’t work real well that way. You don’t have your best seasons.”

“He’s healthy right now. We need him to maintain that,” he continued. “He’s really hard to block, he’s a dominant football player and he got better as the year went along last year. We need him to have a healthy camp to be as dominant as we think he can be.”

The former five-star product of Hardaway (Columbus, Ga.) High School would agree with his head coach’s assessment. While Williams’ tackle for loss (6.5) and sack (4.5) totals stayed the same in 2023 as it was the year before, his 18 tackles was a decrease from 28 stops as a freshman. Granted, there was one fewer game played by the Bulldogs and another game missed for Williams, but the 6-foot-5, 265-pound defender believes he’s capable of more.

“I really don’t feel like I’ve shown anything yet. There’s a lot left to show,” Williams said. “If you look at my stats, they’re like meh. I don’t feel like I’ve shown anything yet.”

Williams is expected to take on a bigger role in 2024, spending more time standing up and playing outside linebacker than he has in the past when he’s primarily played with a hand in the dirt. It’s an adjustment Georgia messed around with in the Orange Bowl against Florida State and one that resulted in his best game of the season with four tackles including a sack, one that resulted in a fumble he would recover himself.

“Mykel’s an edge player. He’s always cross-trained at other positions,” Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann said about Williams ahead of the Orange Bowl. “Sometimes, the things you’ve cross-trained – being able to play defensive end or be a bigger outside linebacker – you decide based on who’s your best 11 on the field and what you’re opponent’s doing.”

“I know this, we’d like to play him on the edge more, whether that’s at defensive end, JACK, anything from that standpoint,” Schumann continued. “He’s one of our best players, and we want to make sure he’s doing what he does best more often.”

Even without the stats, Williams is seen as one of the nation’s top defensive players, and folks are excited to see what he can do in a refined role. He’s aware of the buzz out there about him – potential No. 1 pick, All-SEC/All-American caliber player, etc. He knows though that proper work is required in the offseason to allow for performance to happen in-season. If he can’t perform, all the talk isn’t worth a thing.

“It’s been a great offseason. There’s been lots of learning involved,” Williams said, adding specifics about his pass rush and run stopping abilities along with flexibility to bend around the edge. “I’ve been tuned in trying to get my outside linebacker role down. Preparing, a lot of meetings, a lot of learning, I’m trying to get everything down so I can have full confidence when I go out there on the field.”

“I notice it, but I also realize, if I don’t go out there and perform on the field, all that buzz goes away,” he added on the buzz about him. “My main focus is going out there and performing on the field.”

Georgia is expected to start the season as the preseason top-ranked team and is the favorite according to Vegas oddsmakers to take home the national title in Atlanta come January. The Bulldogs begin their quest for a third championship in four seasons in that same building – Mercedes-Benz Stadium – against Clemson on August 31st (12:00 p.m. ET, ABC).