Big Cat Weekend works its magic once again! Fresh off visiting Auburn for the annual Summer recruiting event, 4-star 2023 edge defender Ashley Williams has committed to The Tigers.
Williams, the #37 edge in the class, was previously pledged to Nebraska. But the day after BCW the Louisiana native decommitted from the Cornhuskers, citing “recent events and a lapse in communication”. ‘Recent events’ can be assumed to be the big push that Auburn gave Williams this past weekend; Coach Roc Bellantoni once again credited with being able to land the star prospect. On Monday, with teams allowed to officially send scholarship offers, The Tigers did not waste any time in outlining their intentions:
Despite a host of official offers from the likes of Washington and SMU, it didn’t take Williams long to make his decision. And on Wednesday, his commitment to Auburn was made official.
Reeling Him In
Speaking to On3, Williams was happy to admit that his relationships with the coaching staff were cemented at Big Cat Weekend. It’s fair to say that Bryan Harsin and Roc Bellantoni really rolled out the welcome wagon, leaving a good impression on the recruit:
“The weekend helped to build a stronger bond with the coaching staff, including Coach Harsin. He really just talked about how much he wanted me to play on his team and to be a part of his program. And what stood out with Coach Roc was when he told me that, if I go to Auburn, I would have to be on my game – because they are gonna need me first thing my freshman year.”
The opportunity for early playing time is a fair card for this coaching staff to play. Starting pass rushers Derick Hall and Eku Leota will be moving on after this season. The edge position is an obvious priority for Harsin and his staff. We saw fellow 4-star prospect Wilky Denaud committed to the Tigers last week. Denaud might find himself lining up as a 5 tech in Jeff Schmedding’s defense. But watching Williams’ tape at Zachary, LA, and he’s purpose built for an OLB on this unit.
The Tide Has Turned
Big Cat Weekend 2022 has already been more successful than anyone could have hoped for. It’s kickstarted the 2024 recruiting cycle with the commitments of Amon Lane and Adrian Posse. And the first of a handful of prospects committed elsewhere has been flipped. The Tigers will be hoping for more of the same in the coming weeks. And they’ll have their fingers crossed names such as Bo Hughley and Jelani Thurman see the progress being made. WDE!
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