5/4/2020 football Edit

In-state check-in: 2021 defensive lineman Jalonnie Williams

Jon McNamara • BadgerBlitz

Editor

Jon McNamara is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has covered UW athletics since 2002 and has worked at Rivals.com since 2006.

Jalonnie Williams owes his friend and teammate at Greenfield High School, Skyler Gill-Howard, a big thank you. Division 1 college coaches probably do, too.

It was Gill-Howard who convinced Williams, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound junior defensive lineman, to return to the football field.

"I played when I was a kid but it was just pee-wee football up until I was 8," Williams told BadgerBlitz.com. "Then my close friend, Skyler Gill-Howard - who's a pretty good linebacker on my team - kept bugging me about it.

"So I just said, 'okay, whatever' for my sophomore year, and now I'm in love with it."

Junior defensive lineman Jalonnie Williams recently picked up his first offer from Central Michigan.

Central Michigan recently came in with offer No. 1, but a handful of other schools are starting the evaluation process with Williams, who is also a standout basketball player for the Hustlin' Hawks.

"It was an unreal feeling," Williams said. "I'm blessed and thankful for it because if it wasn't for the offer, I wouldn't even be able to pay for a week of college. They told me I have a lot of upside because I just started playing again sophomore year and I'm still really raw, but they saw my potential. They really highlighted my speed and athleticism.

"Before the CMU offer, the only two schools talking to me were Northern State and Minnesota State-Moorhead. So after that, everything picked up. I've been hearing a lot from Iowa these past two weeks, and I had a small conversation with Texas Tech, too. Also, North Dakota State has been talking to my coach about me, as well as Iowa State."

With things just starting to heat up in his recruitment, Williams, who could play multiple spots on the defensive line, has yet to take any recruiting visits. And with college campuses shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has further postponed Williams' process.

"I had one visit planned in early April to go see Iowa State, but that's when everything really shut down," Williams said. "That was the first one I planned but I haven't planned any more since we don't know when this will end.

"This has been extremely hard. I know it's been really tough for my girlfriend, too, because she wants to play volleyball in college and was banking on this club season to get her name out there, but everything got shut down. It's hard because a lot of people are not getting the attention they would have. Also, we lose the physical aspect of recruiting, because coaches can't come see you and see your true size.

"As far as a position, it really mixes, because I'm pretty fast and quick for a 6-foot-5, 260-pound player. A lot of schools talk about moving me around the line and possibly being in a 0- to a 5-technique."

Despite not being able to take visits, Williams knows exactly what he's looking for in a potential school.

"The fit is important," he said. "My fit and what they plan to do with me. Also, I'm a huge academic guy, so how the coaches care for academics as much as football will be something I'm looking for."