T-Frank’s Film Room: Mylachi Williams follows same script for Penn State’s 2024 class

Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes earned his first verbal commitment from an edge rusher of his career. The former Penn State defensive end tagged Philadelphia edge rusher Mylachi Williams to join the program after offering the 6-3 athlete in January. 

Williams is both under the radar and a known prospect in the recruiting world. His offer list included some top schools like Notre Dame, but ultimately his decision came down to Penn State and Syracuse. Also, Williams is ranked 205th overall by the On3 rankings and isn’t ranked at all by ESPN. This dichotomy is a fascinating juxtaposition. So, why? We’ll dig into Williams’ film to understand what makes him tick. 

As a disclaimer, most publicly available films are against triple-option teams, so our understanding of Williams’ skills is limited to that and his highlights. 

Strengths 

Frame: At 6-3, Williams isn’t the ideal edge rusher from a height perspective, but his overall length is excellent. The Philadelphia native is another Penn State commit with a reach far exceeding his height numbers, north of 33 inches. That, plus a well-proportioned frame, indicates that Williams can grow into the athlete Penn State needs him to be. 

Burst: Size and length are great, but pass rushers live and die by the first step after the snap. Williams has the innate burst off the ball that earmarks him as a potential high-level pass rusher. Moreover, that explosiveness off the ball should improve with the expected lean mass that Williams will add in the next several years. Williams has all the tools you’re looking for in a pass rusher with a great foundational athletic profile, plus great bend and change of direction skills. 

Positional awareness: Based on his team’s style of play, Williams is in a read-and-react style of defense where the defensive line holds their gaps and forces the runner to respond to the congestion. Williams does an excellent job of reading what sort of running play is coming at him and reacts accordingly. He also does an excellent job using his length to stave off blockers and keeping himself clean to defend the edge of the formation. While his tasks will differ at Penn State, his awareness is a positive sign.

As a pass rusher, he’s a bit raw but does show intentionality in his hand usage. He’s got the basics down for several pass-rushing moves and executes them correctly to get pressure. While few defensive linemen are close to college-ready in high school, the coachability and intentionality are positive indicators that he’s actively trying to improve those skills. 

Areas of Development 

Passive block destruction: We won’t harp on Williams’ losses in the run game because of his 205-pound build. However, it’s important to point out one potentially troubling trait he exhibits because of his size. Williams is a bit passive in his block destruction and general demeanor toward the run game. Yes, he’s likely reading the play and isn’t in a system that favors quick penetration, but even this system requires decisiveness. 

Williams will give up ground and try to slow play blocks instead of aggressively attacking the play. He must shed these habits at Penn State as he grows in strength and size. He’ll be in a vastly different defensive style, which will help, but it’s a trait we will monitor to see how he reacts in the future. 

Size/Strength: The obvious offshoot of what we just discussed is that Williams will need to gain roughly 50 pounds over the next three years. He’s got the frame to do it, but that transformation in the Penn State weight room takes dedication and serious application. It’s likely, but not a given, that he’ll accomplish this task quickly. His profile as a coachable athlete does encourage a positive outlook about his chances, though. 

Pad Level: It will be interesting to see how Williams lines up at Penn State. There’s no hard and fast rule for Penn State edge rushers about lining up in a two-point or three-point stance. With his length and frame, Williams might do better lining up with his hand in the dirt rather than standing up. He’s a tall, long athlete and bends more at the waist than at the knees in his stance. That limits his forward explosion and brings his center of gravity over his toes instead of in his midline. 

Overall, this isn’t a huge concern because Williams still plays with a good pad level and isn’t off-balance regularly. This area of improvement is more about enhancing his skills over working on a deficiency. 

Projection to Penn State

Edge Rusher: Once again, Penn State found themselves an underrated prospect that, while a project, has an incredibly high ceiling for his position. There are obvious hills to climb, but Williams is the prospect you want to take a chance on. He’s long, explosive, and shows hints of elite skill at the position. He could be a high-level edge defender for the Nittany Lions with time, weight training, and nutrition. 

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