Mike Williams Still Beating Up on the Bruins
It’s been two decades since former USC wide receiver Mike Williams was dominating UCLA on the football field. But the all-time great Trojan wideout couldn’t resist again elevating up over the Bruins on Wednesday.
Four-star edge Booker Pickett announced this morning that he’ll be in Los Angeles this weekend, checking out UCLA and USC on unofficial visits. It was notable news for both the Bruins and Trojans as they try to reel in the nation’s No. 87 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings.
It also caught the attention of Williams, who served as Pickett’s head coach at Tampa (Fla.) Wharton High School the past three seasons. Williams moved schools this offseason and is now the head coach at Tampa (Fla.) Robinson High School. But he couldn’t help but offer another word of advice to his former player.
“Don’t put us in the same tweet with them ever again,” Williams (likely) playfully admonished Pickett.
Williams has miles of room to talk when it comes to the gap between USC and UCLA. In his two years with the Trojans, Williams caught 17 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns against the Bruins. USC won those games in 2002 and 2003 by a combined score of 99-43.
And technically, Williams put up those stats in just one and a half games. His 11-catch, 181-yard, two-touchdown showing against the Bruins in 2003 came in just the first half and is one of the most dominant showings by a USC (or any other, really) receiver in college football history.
His touchdown grab over UCLA cornerback Matt Clark will always be remembered as one of the plays that defined his career with the Trojans.
Williams as a High School Coach
After leaving USC early and battling through something of a rocky NFL career, Williams has found his footing as a high school football coach.
He began his coaching career in California and eventually landed at Wharton heading into the 2020 season. The school had won 14 games in four years and had gone six years without making the playoffs. Williams went 24-8 in three years at the school, helping produce several top prospects.
Cornerback Dijon Johnson was a four-star USC target in the 2023 class who eventually signed with Florida. And he can take some credit for helping to develop Pickett, who is one of the more coveted edge prospects in this 2024 class.
Pickett previously narrowed his list of schools down to a top nine, which included Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, Miami, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee and USC.
He’ll be a tough pull out of Florida and across the country, but he’s looking forward to the trip to see USC. When announcing his top nine schools, he said of the Trojans:
“I can’t wait to visit USC. Lincoln Riley stopped by Wharton to check on me in January, and I have had some good talks with him. My old coach (Mike Williams) played at USC, so I know a lot about the program and what they are on the West Coast. I want to get out there this spring.”
