Loudoun County's Chase Williams Enters Spotlight
Williams, shown here stopping fellow top-prospect T.J. Peeler, is up to eight offers, the most recent of which has come from Virginia Tech
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Williams has proven quite useful as a tight-end, recording close to 500 receiving yards during the 2008 season, yet has stated he would prefer to play linebacker at the next level.
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Said Williams of playing defense, "it's not only about ability, but it's about a specific mindset, a mentality to play that side of the ball and that's what I fit in best with."
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Say hello to Chase Williams. As a 6-foot-3 standout linebacker and tight-end for Loudoun County, he's suddenly found himself as one of the most sought-after prospects in the Commonwealth and stands as arguably the best prospect in the Northern Virginia area.
Reeling in scholarship offers from eight schools, including ones from Miami, West Virginia and Virginia Tech, the chance to play at the highest level of college football is something Williams more than appreciates.
"It's pretty awesome," said Williams. "I've always wanted to play college football but until this whole thing started, I wasn't sure if I would be able to or not."
Yet over the spring, Williams has found he's more than able to play at the highest level.
His first offer came in from New Mexico State back in February, but then West Virginia, a recent powerhouse, came out with an offer. Soon, Southern Methodist followed suit, and by the time April was over, Miami, Marhall, and Rice all wanted in on the local Leesburg resident.
His most recent offer from Virginia Tech, a school notorious for producing top-level linebackers, just reinforces his dream of one day playing high-end college football.
"I've dreamed of being [a prospect] and being in big-time Division I football, but I've never thought I'd get this far," said Williams. "I've worked as hard as I could to get where I am, but I was never sure that I'd get to big-time DI football."
And helping him along the oftentimes brutal recruiting process is one of the brightest defensive minds in the NFL: his dad, Gregg Williams. As the current defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, and former head coach for the Buffalo Bills and former defensive coordinator of the Redskins, there might not be a better mentor for Williams.
"He plays a huge role," said Williams of his dad. "He's been in this business a very long time so he can see through the bad and kind of point me towards the good. At this point everything's been good, so he's been great with advice, and he might have coached through the school that's offered, so he's got a lot of contacts and someone that's familiar with the school."
While Williams is thankful for the role his dad plays with his recruitment, his brother, Blake, also an assistant coach for the New Orleans Saints, has been just as instrumental in helping Chase.
"He's been maybe even more of a help," said Williams of his brother Blake, a graduate and former player for Princeton. "He's been through the whole process and has been a huge help."
With the help of his brother and dad at his side, where would Williams prefer to play?
"For me, it's more about the people. It's a place you're going to be living for the next four or five years, but it's something you'll be a part of for the next 40 years," said Williams. "I want it to be a place where I'm proud to have played there and proud to have gotten my degree from there and it has to be about the people and not the facilities they have or how nice their dorms are or anything else they have."
Finding that perfect school with the right kind of people is something Williams hopes to have done by September, possibly before the school year starts, but for now, Williams is undecided about his future visits.
"Right now I'm not sure," said Williams of his future schedule. "I can make some short one-day stops around the country in the next three weeks but I don't have any dates planned to be honest."
One place Williams has visited frequently is LSU, a program that has won two national titles in the past decade, and appears to be on the verge of offering the Loudoun County standout.
"I'm pretty close to LSU," Williams noted. "I've made three trips to their campus this spring and summer and talk to them pretty often."
But whether it be Miami or another school that has offered Williams, there is often a schism that exists as to what position Williams will play at the next level. But when asked about his preference, he made it quite clear as to what position he'd prefer to play at the next level.
"Linebacker," said Williams. "I was born and raised in the defensive mindset more than anything. I feel defense is not only about ability, but it's about a specific mindset, a mentality to play that side of the ball and that's what I fit in best with."
With a plan to commit by September and having the offers continuing to roll in, stay tuned into GamedayMagazine.com to track all recruiting trail of Williams.
For recruiting questions or comments please e-mail me, Derek LeComte, at GamedayRecruits@aol.com
