Watch Penn State five-star OL commit J'Ven Williams vs. Berks Catholic
Penn State’s Class of 2023 is on pace to rank among the best in the nation, and it’s led by five-star offensive lineman J’Ven Williams. A native of Wyomissing, Pa., Williams has been committed to the Nittany Lions for over seven months now, announcing his decision in the beginning of February.
This past weekend, Williams led Wyomissing to an impressive, come-from-behind victory against rival Berks Catholic, winning the game 41-24. The Spartans, who fell short in the Pennsylvania 3A state championship game last season, are now 4-0 on the year with hopes of making it back to Hershey.
“I think our season is going good,” Williams said. “I think we’ve been getting better in each game. We’re learning a lot about our team. On Friday, that was the first time we were down at halftime this season, so it was a good game for us to experience. It was good to see us bounce back from some adversity.”
Williams has played both sides of the ball the past two years, but after losing some key players from the 2021 team, his contributions on defense are needed more than ever.
“I want to be a little bit more dominant on defense. I feel like I’ve been pretty dominant on offense, but I want to take my game to a different level on defense,” Williams said. “Other than that, I’ve been mainly working on my conditioning. I’m basically pulling to the edge on every play, so I’m running a lot. I’m playing defense, too, so I’m just trying to do everything I can to stay in the game. My coaches have been great at noticing that and giving me a break when I need it. It’s something I want to get better at though.”
Related: Penn State moves on JUCO OT Keyshawn Blackstock
Like many who reside in-state and commit early in the process, Williams has never once reconsidered his commitment. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound swing player is as solid as they come. Because of that, he said his conversations with offensive line coach Phil Trautwein have been very casual in recent months.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Johntay Cook
Texas WR, Huskies part ways
- 2
Transfer Portal window
Coaches propose big change
- 3Hot
Sanders addresses rumors
Prime talks Cowboys job
- 4
Fake injuries
New rule under discussion
- 5Trending
Kiffin jabs Saban
Sydney Thomas pic sparks shot
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
“I’ve been sending him my film each week and we’ll catch up about that. He sends me graphics and different things like that, too. But really, we just keep building our bond each week,” Williams said. “He knows I’m fully committed, so a lot of our talks are just us catching up, seeing how each other has been, how their season is going, stuff like that.”
One thing that has stood out to him is the play of Penn State’s offensive line through three games this season. Just like everyone else who watched this past Saturday, the win over Auburn left a strong impression.
“That was amazing. I thought the line played really well and Nick Singleton had an amazing day,” Williams said. “But I’ve enjoyed watching the offensive line. They’ve put together some pretty good games the past couple of weeks. I’m happy for those guys. But for us to beat up on an SEC team like that, it was so much fun to watch. It says a lot about where this program is headed.”
Williams is expected to be back at Penn State for the next three home games, beginning this weekend against Central Michigan. He’s currently the 10th-ranked player nationally according to our staff at On3, which places him No. 1 both in state and as an interior offensive lineman. The On3 Consensus ranks Williams No. 53 nationally and fourth at his position.
