Kentucky legacy Amaree Williams commits to Florida State

Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) The Benjamin School product Amaree Williams has been a recruiting target for Kentucky for some time now. The blue-chip prospect was set to be one of the program’s top EDGE targets in the 2025 cycle. But that changed when Williams decided to reclassify to 2024.

That move made things difficult for the Wildcats. On Saturday, the top-200 recruit came off the board. Williams committed to Florida State and will sign with the ACC program later this month.

“He told me everything I wanted to hear,” Williams said about Florida State head coach Mike Norvell. “They talk about head coaches are salesmen at the end of the day. But you know, he’s more than just a salesman. He’s trying to put players in the right situation, trying to see them grow and see them be the best they can be. It’s not just about Florida State; it’s about the players ourselves.”

That’s a tough break for Kentucky due to Amaree Williams’ obvious ties with the football program in Lexington. Amaree Williams is the son of former Kentucky star tailback Moe Williams. The older Williams was a first-team All-SEC selection in 1995 setting the Kentucky program’s single-season rushing yards (1,600) mark that has stood for 28 years. Williams was the program’s all-time leading rusher until Benny Snell Jr. re-wrote the record books with 3,873 rushing yards. A third-round pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, the older Williams would spend a decade in pro football playing for the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens.

Despite taking multiple unofficial visits to the University of Kentucky campus throughout the recruiting process, Amaree Williams has decided to stay in the Sunshine State and suit up for Florida State. Kentucky will need to find some other EDGE option to focus on in the 2025 cycle with Williams reclassifying and heading to the ACC.