Texas official visit back on the books for Rivals100 WR CJ Williams
After some back and forth with his scheduling, the Longhorns are set once again to host one of their top 2022 targets in June in CJ Williams. The Rivals100 receiver had originally penciled Texas in for a visit but for a brief time, was thinking he’d push his Texas visit back as he sorted through some track obligations. As it stands now, the trip to Austin is back on the schedule.
“I actually am visiting Texas in June. I’ll be there with Maalik (Murphy), I believe it’s the 18th. I had to cancel a couple other official visits because of track but Texas is one of those that I want to keep on (the schedule for June),” Williams said. “I’ll be able to take the rest of them in the fall. Texas is one of the early ones I scheduled so I feel like it’s one of the ones I need to keep on there.”
Along with Texas, Williams will visit Notre Dame in June. He’ll try to hit Alabama, Florida and “probably” Georgia in the fall. As for what has piqued Williams’ interest in Texas, it’s a combination of factors, including the new staff in addition to friend and UT commitment Murphy.
“That connection between me and Maalik is worth a whole lot. I’ve played with Maalik since I was in eighth grade. We were actually just reminiscing about it (before the Rivals camp). We played 4 Vert together, we played 7 on 7 together, we’ve done some cool stuff together,” Williams said. “And then obviously you have coach Sark (Steve Sarksian), who was my main recruiter over at Alabama. He’s carried that over to Texas and kept that same energy. I knew coach (Andre) Coleman very well, even before coach Sark got there. Texas was a school that probably wasn’t as high on my list as they are now, but with the new staff, they are now. I just think coach Sark being a California guy, knowing he takes care of receivers specifically, that means a lot.”
Williams and Murphy have been friends for years, and while Murphy’s commitment to Texas is certainly weighing in UT’s favor, Williams said his friend isn’t applying too much recruiting pressure. He does expect that to change soon though.
“I think he’s letting me have my space, letting me enjoy my recruitment, which is pretty cool of him. But I’m expecting a whole lot of pressure from him once it gets around that time that I told him I’ll probably commit,” Williams said.
And when might a commitment come?
“I think as soon as I finish those five official visits, whenever I feel comfortable, I’ll commit. Whether that’s at the All-American Bowl or right after I get done with m official visits, flying home,” Williams said. “So I think it’ll be sometime in that timeframe. I’m eager to get it done, just as much as everybody else, and just ready to get through the process.”
The five schools that will get official visits are obviously heavily in play, but they’re not the only ones in the mix. USC, UCLA and Stanford will also draw strong consideration, but Williams prefers to use his official visits for out-of-state programs. He’ll actually be on the USC campus for an unofficial visit on June 2.
Mater Dei, where Williams plays, has a history of sending many of its top prospects to USC, but Williams said he’s keeping an open mind to all the schools on his list.
“I feel like it won’t be too hard for (a school to get him out of California). Wherever I go, I feel like I’ll adjust,” Williams said. “Sometimes you have to leave the house sooner or later, so whether that’s leaving two hours up north to USC, seven hours up north to Stanford, or across the country to Notre Dame, Texas or Alabama. For me, I feel like location isn’t a big thing. As long as I can get on the phone, call my parents and tell them I love them, I’ll be cool.”
Williams is the nation’s No. 27-ranked prospect overall and is the No. 3-ranked receiver in the country. He’s currently a four-star prospect and ranked No. 2 in the state of California. He holds more than 50 scholarship offers.