Four-star EDGE Jaylen Williams commits to Michigan after official visit

Michigan has scored a big win on the recruiting trail.

Four-star Palatine (Ill.) High EDGE Jaylen Williams gave Michigan a verbal commitment shortly following his weekend official visit.

Williams committed to Michigan over fellow finalists Nebraska, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Michigan,” Williams said. “I just love it… I’ve watched a lot of their defensive line film, and the first person you think of is Aidan Hutchinson. I know I’m not at his level, but I’m really trying to match it.”

On3 has Williams listed as a defensive lineman, but the Wolverines are actively recruiting him for their bigger EDGE role in the same mold as previous star pass rushers like Hutchinson and Mike Morris.

Williams paid close attention to Michigan’s defensive line and EDGE players and was extremely impressed with them, especially during his visit for the game against Ohio State last season.

“Those boys were getting after it,” Williams said. “They were really good. I’ve been watching a lot of Kris Jenkins recently, and he is a dog. That boy is just different. The pass rushers were great, too. They are just some units. That’s all I can say.”  

New Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito led the way in Williams’ recruitment. U-M head coach Sherrone Moore, who served as the area recruiter in Chicagoland during his time as an assistant, was personally involved with Williams as well.

Michigan also got a boost from Top 100 defensive line commit and fellow Chicagoland native Nate Marshall.

“We talk a lot about playing with each other,” Williams said. “We’ve been playing Fortnite, and all we talk about is where we’re going. We talk about Michigan and how good it would be to be teammates. I really like Nate. That’s my boy.”

At 6-foot-5, 238 pounds, Williams is ranked as the No. 22 defensive lineman and No. 278 overall prospect nationally, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He is also ranked as the No. 6 overall recruit in the state of Illinois.

Michigan now has six commits in its 2025 recruiting class — Williams, Top 100 Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick defensive lineman Nate Marshall, On300 Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot quarterback Carter Smith, four-star Birmingham (Mich.) Groves offensive lineman Avery Gach, four-star Howell (Mich.) High defensive lineman Bobby Kanka and three-star Alcoa (Tenn.) High tight end Eli Owens.

The class entered the day ranked No. 18 nationally, per the On3 Industry national team recruiting rankings.