Florida stands out from others on Ory Williams’ visit, return trip set
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Texas offensive tackle Ory Williams made his first-ever trip to Florida this weekend as one of 17 official visitors, along with three other recruits from the Lone Star State.
It’s safe to say the Gators made a strong impression on the 6-foot-8, 310-pound Williams, who plans to be back in Gainesville for a second time this summer.
Williams enjoyed spending the weekend around UF coach Billy Napier, offensive coordinator Rob Sale and offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton.
“This visit, I mean, it was really good,” told Gators Online’s Corey Bender on Sunday. “I learned a lot about the school, about coach Nape, about coach Sale and coach Stapleton. I really like it. It’s definitely one of my top schools now.”
Where does Florida sit with Williams, who named LSU his leader on May 23?
“Definitely up there. Top three,” he said. “There’s not a lot of schools I’m looking at right now. I kind of already narrowed it down a little bit, but top three.
“Right now, I’m working with LSU, Georgia and this school (Florida). But I still got a couple more visits to look at.”
Williams has officially visited Oklahoma State in addition to Florida and has three more trips scheduled to Texas A&M (June 9-11), LSU (June 16-18) and Georgia (June 23-25).
It sounds like the Gators have set the bar for official visits.
“Just the love they showed and the development plan they have for me. Not a lot of schools have that for me, so that really means that I’m a priority for them and that they really want me,” he said.
What did the development plan entail that stood out to Williams?
“When they broke it down, the process is really just better my pass set, better my run game and my knowledge on the secondary for the backfield,” he said. “I really got a better feel for (Sale and Stapleton), and I really got to know them better. Real genuine with the words they say and what they talk about.”
Williams also came away impressed from his interactions with Napier.
“It was good. The message from him was really just, it’s a family here. And they’re gonna get me to where I want to be,” he said.
Part of that family would involve some fellow Texas natives. The Gators’ 2024 class features of pair of commits from his home state, top-35 overall recruits from committed in DJ Lagway and Xavier Filsaime. Both of them officially visited Florida this weekend along with Texas A&M in-state commit Dealyn Evans.
“Me and DJ stay in touch,” Williams said. “It was cool (to visit with other Texas recruits). It’s crazy because we’re all kind of alike. All have a sense of humor, personality, stuff like that. We’re all alike. So, it was real cool to get to connect and bond with them.”
Williams doesn’t plan to make a decision until the fall and said he will “most likely” take more official visits.
“I’m probably gonna make my decision in the midst of the season, mid-season,” he said.
The post Florida stands out from others on Ory Williams’ visit, return trip set appeared first on On3.
