A national championship. A phone call. A coach who likes the Tide.
Memo to Jimbo: Bama's coming.
One would think Florida State and head coach Jimbo Fisher would have a clear advantage in what's sure to become an all-out, nationwide recruiting war for Under Armour All-America prospect Karlos Williams (Davenport, Fla./Ridge Community).
Williams has a brother, sophomore linebacker Vince Williams, who plays for Florida State, and, over the years, Williams has grown to become quite familiar with the Seminoles program.
Just don't confuse familiarity with destined-to-go-there.
"I don't think it's a lock at all," Ridge Community coach Richard Tate told CrimsonConfidential.com Tuesday afternoon, adding that he's not sure if Williams has an official leader or not. "He's just familiar with Florida State because his brother's been there for two years. He has a pretty good feel for how things go in Tallahassee, but he's not a shoo-in to go there."
Especially not with Alabama in hot pursuit.
Oh, there's plenty of schools after the ESPNU 150 Watch List prospect and plenty that have already offered him. Besides Florida State and Alabama, other suitors include the likes of Miami, Georgia, Notre Dame and LSU. In the words of Tate, "pretty much everybody" has offered Williams.
But there's reason to keep a watchful eye on Alabama in this particular recruiting tug-of-war.
"I think Alabama's going to be up there pretty high," Tate said. "From what I gathered after his recent phone conversation with Coach (Nick) Saban, Karlos was impressed when he got off the phone.
"He usually doesn't say much when he gets off with a coach. He'll just say, 'I talked with Les Miles or I talked with whoever.' But after talking with Coach Saban, he told me, 'That's the smoothest guy I've ever talked to.' And he smiled when he said it."
The assistant coach assigned to recruit Williams to Alabama is Jim McElwain, someone with whom Tate is quite familiar. The two have known each other for a long time, Tate said.
Just one more plus for the Tide.
"I think Alabama has a shot," Tate said, noting the Tide is coming off a national championship season. "I know I wouldn't mind him going there. I'm actually a Miami guy myself, but right now if I had a kid who had an opportunity to go anywhere, Alabama is the place I'd want him to go. What they have going on there is pretty special."
The fact that Williams, who's listed under the category of 'athlete' by ESPN, is projected to play safety in college would also seem to work in Alabama's favor considering Saban's hands-on approach in coaching the secondary.
Williams plays quarterback at Ridge Community, too, but that's because, as Tate put it, he's the team's "best athlete and he can make things happen."
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Williams ran a 4.51 40 last week but Tate said he's a legitimate 4.48 guy. In the weight room, Williams can ...
Subscribers click HERE to read the full story and join the discussion.
Not a subscriber but want to be? It's just $5. Click HERE.
