Will Muschamp and his coaching staff played host to a slew of recruits last weekend for another high school football camp. The Gators have played host to many high profile recruits this summer but not all prospects go through workouts during camp.
2016 running back Antonio Williams (5-11, 210, New London, NC North Stanly) did decide to camp on Saturday and that decision to workout for the Florida coaching staff paid dividends.
“I had been talking to Coach [Brian] White for a little bit before I attended camp down there and he told me that there was a high possibility of me getting an offer,” Williams said. “Early on in camp after he was watching me some he came over and said I was looking good. After camp ended I left and I came back and that’s when I went into the coaches offices and Coach [Will] Muschamp offered me.”
Williams has been committed to North Carolina since last September but he says that this Florida offer means something to him and his family.
“This is a big offer because of the history of the school and the football program of Florida,” Williams said. “Knowing that I have a chance to play there is a blessing to me. I’m committed to North Carolina but this is a big one for me.”
Williams was excited about the offer from Florida, but is still committed to North Carolina. With a long way to go before he’s a senior in high school, Williams isn’t ready to get to into talking about his recruitment.
“I’d rather not speak on my commitment status right now,” Williams said. “Right now I’m just going with the flow and working on my team but I do plan to visit Florida in the future. Coach Muschamp wants my family to come down so I plan to do that.”
When Williams returns to Gainesville with his family this fall he hopes to show them the facilities and some of the other things that caught his attention on campus.
“I loved it and everything there was amazing,” Williams said. “Everything really opened my eyes there. This was my first time being down there but the coaches are great and I like the intensity they bring to the program.”
Now that Williams has his Florida offer, he plans to develop a better relationship with running backs coach Brian White. After spending most of the day on Saturday working with White, he’s eager to learn more from the coach.
“Coach White is a laid back guy but he also pushes you to your limits,” Williams said. “I was talking to Mack Brown when I was down there a lot and he was telling me that I needed to get into Florida shape because the heat at Florida is no joke and that Coach White will push you in the heat even harder.”
INSIDER TAKE: Williams is a soft verbal commitment to North Carolina and has seen his stock rise recently. At 210 pounds Williams could be a great fit in Kurt Roper’s offense as the bigger back and with his hands he could also be a valuable asset out of the backfield in the passing game.