Frustrated Oregon fans couldn't be blamed for thinking that the Georgia boosters laid a gleaming golden fiddle at Justin Williams' feet, but the truth was way simpler than that. All Kirby Smart had to do was show him the shimmering trophy case, resplendent with four national championship trophies, then text him a link to the 18-minute highlight video of last year's 65-7 victory over TCU.
Then he took him past Nakobe Dean's Dick Butkus Award and showed him the photo from 2022 Draft Day, another of Dean collecting an oversized check for $965,162, his signing bonus for being selected in the third round.
Smart would've had to do some fast talking on that part. The 5-11, 232-pound Dean slipped a little in the draft that year, partly because of his height and an extensive history of injuries. Williams is 6-2, 210 and runs a 4.4 40. He'll have a Golden Ticket to the first round, Smart could whisper, just like 6 other Bulldog stars over the last two years.
Williams, from Conroe, Texas, is a charismatic middle linebacker with devastating agility and speed. He's the second five-star recruit the Ducks have finished second for this summer, the other being Elijah Rushing of Salpointe High School in Tucson, Arizona, who decided to stay close to home and announced for the Arizona Wildcats.
Recruiting is a slingshot, paint-swapping world, much like stock car racing in Talladega Nights. To quote the immortal Ricky Bobby, "If you ain't first, you're last." Only one school wins the hat ceremony. All the others have to regroup at Applebee's and pivot to other choices.
For the Ducks and Dan Lanning, they can console themselves with the knowledge that Dylan Williams and Kamar Mothudi are two terrific linebacker prospects, both committed for 2023. They could be joined in a few weeks by Brayden Platt, a 4-star All-American from Yelm, Washington, 6-2, 240.
Platt visited Oregon in June. He announces his college decision on September 4th, and this time the Ducks are favorites. He's a superb football player who doubles as a powerful running back and triples as his state's best track athlete: he heaves the hammer 157 feet, 11 inches, the shot nearly 63 feet and won the gold medal in the javelin at the Nike Outdoor Nationals with a toss of 228 feet.
Big as it is, there's little time to mourn the loss of Justin Williams. This weekend Oregon hosts an impressive array of talent at the annual Saturday Night Live event, including five-star defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri and five-star wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan.
In all, over 50 top high school recruits will be there, both from 2024 and 2025, a list that includes committed Oregon players like quarterback Michael Van Buren and safety Aaron Flowers.
You win the ones you can and keep coaching. Come September, you trust in Bo Nix and don't stop believing, never distracted by the devil or lost opportunities, maintaining relationships for the future.
Keep in mind, Lanning and his staff have won five-star battles for Matayo Uiagalelei, Josh Conerly and Jurrion Dickey. He's building a powerhouse in Eugene, one of sixteen teams with the raw talent to win a national title in 2023.
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