While awaiting official word that Kevin Williams will enroll at Michigan State this summer as a sixth-year graduate transfer, it's interesting to go back in time and retrace his recruiting footsteps in the spring of 2010.
At one point, Williams (a 3-star recruit from Springfield High in Holland, Ohio) looked like a strong lean to MSU, after visiting during spring practice in April of 2010.
But then Williams (who was ranked No. 22 in Ohio by Rivals.com) visited Nebraska for their spring game nine days later, and committed to the Huskers shortly thereafter.
Williams' step-father is an MSU graduate. Williams used to visit MSU every year as a youth, as a fan.
While at MSU in April of 2010, he had a 45-minute meeting with Mark Dantonio, and also meet with Ken Mannie and others.
But his visit to Nebraska changed things. According to his quotes from the Nebraska site back then, he was amazed by the gameday type of environment at Nebraska for the spring game, was amazed to be asked by fans for his autograph, and was pleasantly surprised to find that Lincoln was a pretty sizable city.
Also, Ndamukong Suh had just finished an amazing career at Nebraska, and was about to become the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Williams said Nebraska's development of Suh was a big factor in his decision.
(Also, Williams' high school coach in 2009, Vince Marrow, was a close confidante in Williams' decisino to choose Nebraska. Not long after Williams committed to the Huskers, Williams left Springfield High after one season to become tight ends coach for the Omaha Nighthawks of the fledgling UFL. A year later, he became a grad assistant at Nebraska, a post he held for two years. Marrow goes back a long way with Bo Pelini and the Stoops brothers in Youngstown. Marrow is now tight ends coach for Mark Stoops at Kentucky. Williams reportedly has also considered the University of Kentucky as a possible destination for a 2016 transfer, as well as Texas A&M and others).
Anyway, getting back to 2010, MSU was running strong for Williams at one point but this recruitment took a 180 after he visited Nebraska.
Paul Day had this story about Williams for SpartanMag.com in early April of 2010:
https://michiganstate.n.rivals.com/news/ohio-dt-meets-dantonio-adds-msu-to-favorites
4/8/2010
Ohio DT meets Dantonio, adds MSU to favorites
Paul Day | SpartanMag.com Staff Writer
Instead of heading to some tropical location for spring break, Holland (Ohio) Springfield defensive tackle prospect Kevin Williams has been driving around the Midwest over the past week to take a closer look at some of his college options.
The week began with Williams stopping in Madison Monday and Tuesday to check out the University of Wisconsin and the Badgers football program which was followed up with a trip to East Lansing earlier today (Thursday) to see Michigan State and the Spartans football program.
SpartanMag.com caught up with Williams (6-3, 275) shortly after returning home from East Lansing and he shared the details about his latest visit to MSU.
"It was great. We came in and right away we got acquainted and got into a meeting with Coach (Mark) Dantonio. That lasted probably a good 45 minutes to an hour. We were just in there talking about where my recruiting is at, how everything is going and how I fit in the program and the way he likes to do things at Michigan State," Williams said. "That was really nice. Then from there he had to go out to practice for a little bit and get the guys started off for practice.
"Meanwhile, I was out meeting with some of the academic advisors and getting a tour, a more in-depth tour of the facilities that I hadn't gotten before. And then following that we just went out to practice, watched them and met with the strength coach (Ken Mannie) and he got me real fired up. It was just a great experience. I loved it. I really definitely, honestly could see myself there in the near future. I really can. It was a very good, very good trip for me."
Williams, who has been visiting MSU once a year for the past nine years due to his stepfather's alumni status, said this stop in East Lansing ranks right up there with the best he's experienced.
"This is definitely up there, because before when we'd go, just as far as going with my parents, it would be like we're going to visit Michigan State, same old, same old Michigan State," Williams said. "And now they rolled out the red carpet and really just made me feel comfortable and feel at home. It was a great experience. It really made me think about things a lot."
That means the Spartans are back among Williams' favorites. According to an April 1 report on HuskersIllustrated.com, Williams had Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Stanford and Illinois atop his list.
"After today, honestly, Michigan State is definitely very far at the top. Definitely. Definitely," Williams said. "After what I saw today, like I said, I just got a feeling that, wow, a feeling that I don't really get at too many other schools, like when I visited Ohio State I didn't really get the same feeling. But I had a definite feeling that I could definitely go here and play here and play for the coaches and it really felt good."
Williams indicated that he experienced his "feeling" very early in the visit and it continued until the end. But in looking back at his afternoon at MSU, Dantonio deserves a lot of credit for getting the Spartans back near the top of this recruitment.
"We got to see how (Dantonio) really is - because I had never met him before; I had talked to him on the phone, but it's a lot different when you meet a person - so that had a great impact. And when we were at practice how everything was so, it's hard to explain, down to earth," Williams said. "During practice when I was watching it, Coach Dantonio would call me onto the field, up close and personal, and teach me things during their practice. He took his time out to show me things and really let me get an up close and personal view of what's going, and it was great. I couldn't ask for anything better."
When asked what schools remain on his leader board today, Williams said, "I'd say it would be between Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan."
He added of any other schools possibly making his list: "I feel pretty good about this (list) because I'm drawing closer and closer to making a decision. I want to get it over with going into my senior year, going into training camp in the summer so I can have my head on straight for my senior year and get focused and have a great senior year and come out of high school fresh and ready. So, I plan on making my decision within the next month or so."
Williams said that probably means his decision will be in during the first week of May. Williams will wrap up his visits with stops at Nebraska for the spring game on April 17 and Illinois for its spring game on April 24.
"I'm still looking at them evenly, probably," Williams said of his favorites. "After I get back from Nebraska I will probably have a better idea of who's higher than who. As of right now I can compare the schools that I've visited, I can say that, but I'd like to kind of get all my visits done and then evaluate them all, all at once."
***
Nine days later, he was "blown away" during his visit to Nebraska:
https://nebraska.n.rivals.com/news/williams-blown-away-by-husker-hospitality
4/17/2010
Williams blown away by Husker hospitality
Rick Shaw | Rick Shaw
Holland (Ohio) Springfield defensive tackle Kevin Williams has always subscribed to the belief that, in the end, his college decision will be more about people than it will be about anything else. After a visit to Nebraska's spring game on Saturday, he said the 'feeling' he's got in Lincoln is going to be tough to beat. Will a decision come soon?
"It (Nebraska) has been great - it's amazing," the 6-foot-3, 275-pound Williams said. "The game was really lively. It's been exhilarating."
"The fans and the level of their support are exciting. The (Nebraska) coaches are really interested in me and that's exciting. There is something big going on here and I think this is a great place to be."
Williams, who is still in Lincoln with a number of family members, said he won't depart for home until sometime late tomorrow morning. He said he's been surprised with how comfortable he's become with the Nebraska program in such a short time.
"It's definitely the people that stick out most about Nebraska," Williams said. "Wherever you go to school, you want to be able to fit in. Everybody here has been absolutely amazing - from the fans, to the coaches, to the players. They've all been really welcoming."
"I've been to Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State and this trip is definitely been No. 1. I mean, today felt like a game day atmosphere and it was only a spring game - a practice. I haven't experienced any negatives on my trip to Lincoln and at all of the other places I visited there was at least one (negative). At Nebraska, I got the immediate gut feeling that this could be it - this could be the right place for me."
In addition to the people, Williams said he's also been impressed with the city itself as well as the facilities at Nebraska.
"The facilities are amazing, probably the best I've seen," Williams said. "I've seen Alabama's weight room and Nebraska's is just as good, if not better."
"The city is what really surprised me though. A lot of people have told me that when I came out here that I wouldn't find anything here - just a bunch of cornfields. When we pulled up yesterday, I said to my family, this is actually a city. There is a lot to do in Lincoln and I think I'd enjoy living here."
According to Williams, he plans to go out and see more of the city and community this evening. He then plans to get a good night's sleep before plotting his next move in the morning.
"This (trip) has been an amazing experience," Williams said. "It's an experience I haven't gotten anywhere else. I'm just on my way out the door to hang out with (Husker quarterback pledge) Jamal Turner tonight."
"As far as a decision, I'm still thinking about that. I'm not ruling out a commitment before I leave but I want to sleep on it tonight. I just want to make sure I have the same feeling about everything when I wake up tomorrow. Right now, I have to say, I have a great feeling."
Williams currently holds 15 scholarship offers, including tenders from Boston College, Cincinnati, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon, Stanford, Syracuse and Wisconsin.
**
And then two days later, he committed to Nebraska:
https://nebraska.n.rivals.com/news/huskers-pick-up-big-dt-commit
4/19/2010
Huskers pick up big DT commit
Mike Matya | Mike Matya
Ever since Nebraska was the first school to send Kevin Williams a written scholarship offer he became enamored with the Cornhuskers' football program.
As multiple new offers arrived in subsequent months, the positive feelings about NU never waned for the Holland (Ohio) Springfield defensive tackle recruit.
After attending Saturday's Red-White spring game with his family, the 6-foot-2, 275-pounder went home to consider what he saw and experienced in Lincoln. Today he decided that he had found his collegiate home and he decided to commit to the University of Nebraska.
"Yeah I actually did come to a decision," Williams said. "I chose Nebraska."
This is NU's sixth verbal pledge for their class of 2011, and in the end it was the hospitality that he was shown by the coaches, players, fellow recruits, and fans over the weekend that was the major factor in his choice.
"My visit this weekend was amazing. It just made me feel at home. The people and how I was treated was the main thing. I got a lot of attention from the fans. I was signing autographs and everything.
"And then the environment at the game was amazing. It was only a spring game, but it felt like it was a regular game."
Williams said that he discussed his decision with his family, as well as Springfield head coach Vince Marrow, and they all supported his decision.
"Yes, my family loved it too. They were a big reason for my decision. Coach Marrow grew up with coach (Bo) Pelini. He knows him personally, and he knows it will be a good fit for me."
It also didn't hurt Nebraska's chances that defensive linemen have thrived under the tutelage of the Pelini brothers, including most recently Ndamukong Suh.
"That had a great impact on my decision. The Pelinis really developed him, and I know that they'll bring the best out of me."
Over the weekend, Williams also got a chance to bond with the other early commits of NU's class of 2011, especially quarterback commit Jamal Turner.
"Jamal was telling me why he committed to Nebraska, and that it's a good place with a lot of good things happening there now. He said that once we commit a lot of other good players will follow suit."
As a junior, Williams recorded 157 total tackles, 15 tackles-for-loss and 15 sacks. He was named first-team all-league, first-team all-district, and special mention All-Ohio.
Williams chose Nebraska over other scholarship offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Kansas, Oregon, Stanford, Syracuse, Wisconsin, and several others.
At one point, Williams (a 3-star recruit from Springfield High in Holland, Ohio) looked like a strong lean to MSU, after visiting during spring practice in April of 2010.
But then Williams (who was ranked No. 22 in Ohio by Rivals.com) visited Nebraska for their spring game nine days later, and committed to the Huskers shortly thereafter.
Williams' step-father is an MSU graduate. Williams used to visit MSU every year as a youth, as a fan.
While at MSU in April of 2010, he had a 45-minute meeting with Mark Dantonio, and also meet with Ken Mannie and others.
But his visit to Nebraska changed things. According to his quotes from the Nebraska site back then, he was amazed by the gameday type of environment at Nebraska for the spring game, was amazed to be asked by fans for his autograph, and was pleasantly surprised to find that Lincoln was a pretty sizable city.
Also, Ndamukong Suh had just finished an amazing career at Nebraska, and was about to become the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Williams said Nebraska's development of Suh was a big factor in his decision.
(Also, Williams' high school coach in 2009, Vince Marrow, was a close confidante in Williams' decisino to choose Nebraska. Not long after Williams committed to the Huskers, Williams left Springfield High after one season to become tight ends coach for the Omaha Nighthawks of the fledgling UFL. A year later, he became a grad assistant at Nebraska, a post he held for two years. Marrow goes back a long way with Bo Pelini and the Stoops brothers in Youngstown. Marrow is now tight ends coach for Mark Stoops at Kentucky. Williams reportedly has also considered the University of Kentucky as a possible destination for a 2016 transfer, as well as Texas A&M and others).
Anyway, getting back to 2010, MSU was running strong for Williams at one point but this recruitment took a 180 after he visited Nebraska.
Paul Day had this story about Williams for SpartanMag.com in early April of 2010:
https://michiganstate.n.rivals.com/news/ohio-dt-meets-dantonio-adds-msu-to-favorites
4/8/2010
Ohio DT meets Dantonio, adds MSU to favorites
Paul Day | SpartanMag.com Staff Writer
Instead of heading to some tropical location for spring break, Holland (Ohio) Springfield defensive tackle prospect Kevin Williams has been driving around the Midwest over the past week to take a closer look at some of his college options.
The week began with Williams stopping in Madison Monday and Tuesday to check out the University of Wisconsin and the Badgers football program which was followed up with a trip to East Lansing earlier today (Thursday) to see Michigan State and the Spartans football program.
SpartanMag.com caught up with Williams (6-3, 275) shortly after returning home from East Lansing and he shared the details about his latest visit to MSU.
"It was great. We came in and right away we got acquainted and got into a meeting with Coach (Mark) Dantonio. That lasted probably a good 45 minutes to an hour. We were just in there talking about where my recruiting is at, how everything is going and how I fit in the program and the way he likes to do things at Michigan State," Williams said. "That was really nice. Then from there he had to go out to practice for a little bit and get the guys started off for practice.
"Meanwhile, I was out meeting with some of the academic advisors and getting a tour, a more in-depth tour of the facilities that I hadn't gotten before. And then following that we just went out to practice, watched them and met with the strength coach (Ken Mannie) and he got me real fired up. It was just a great experience. I loved it. I really definitely, honestly could see myself there in the near future. I really can. It was a very good, very good trip for me."
Williams, who has been visiting MSU once a year for the past nine years due to his stepfather's alumni status, said this stop in East Lansing ranks right up there with the best he's experienced.
"This is definitely up there, because before when we'd go, just as far as going with my parents, it would be like we're going to visit Michigan State, same old, same old Michigan State," Williams said. "And now they rolled out the red carpet and really just made me feel comfortable and feel at home. It was a great experience. It really made me think about things a lot."
That means the Spartans are back among Williams' favorites. According to an April 1 report on HuskersIllustrated.com, Williams had Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Stanford and Illinois atop his list.
"After today, honestly, Michigan State is definitely very far at the top. Definitely. Definitely," Williams said. "After what I saw today, like I said, I just got a feeling that, wow, a feeling that I don't really get at too many other schools, like when I visited Ohio State I didn't really get the same feeling. But I had a definite feeling that I could definitely go here and play here and play for the coaches and it really felt good."
Williams indicated that he experienced his "feeling" very early in the visit and it continued until the end. But in looking back at his afternoon at MSU, Dantonio deserves a lot of credit for getting the Spartans back near the top of this recruitment.
"We got to see how (Dantonio) really is - because I had never met him before; I had talked to him on the phone, but it's a lot different when you meet a person - so that had a great impact. And when we were at practice how everything was so, it's hard to explain, down to earth," Williams said. "During practice when I was watching it, Coach Dantonio would call me onto the field, up close and personal, and teach me things during their practice. He took his time out to show me things and really let me get an up close and personal view of what's going, and it was great. I couldn't ask for anything better."
When asked what schools remain on his leader board today, Williams said, "I'd say it would be between Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan."
He added of any other schools possibly making his list: "I feel pretty good about this (list) because I'm drawing closer and closer to making a decision. I want to get it over with going into my senior year, going into training camp in the summer so I can have my head on straight for my senior year and get focused and have a great senior year and come out of high school fresh and ready. So, I plan on making my decision within the next month or so."
Williams said that probably means his decision will be in during the first week of May. Williams will wrap up his visits with stops at Nebraska for the spring game on April 17 and Illinois for its spring game on April 24.
"I'm still looking at them evenly, probably," Williams said of his favorites. "After I get back from Nebraska I will probably have a better idea of who's higher than who. As of right now I can compare the schools that I've visited, I can say that, but I'd like to kind of get all my visits done and then evaluate them all, all at once."
***
Nine days later, he was "blown away" during his visit to Nebraska:
https://nebraska.n.rivals.com/news/williams-blown-away-by-husker-hospitality
4/17/2010
Williams blown away by Husker hospitality
Rick Shaw | Rick Shaw
Holland (Ohio) Springfield defensive tackle Kevin Williams has always subscribed to the belief that, in the end, his college decision will be more about people than it will be about anything else. After a visit to Nebraska's spring game on Saturday, he said the 'feeling' he's got in Lincoln is going to be tough to beat. Will a decision come soon?
"It (Nebraska) has been great - it's amazing," the 6-foot-3, 275-pound Williams said. "The game was really lively. It's been exhilarating."
"The fans and the level of their support are exciting. The (Nebraska) coaches are really interested in me and that's exciting. There is something big going on here and I think this is a great place to be."
Williams, who is still in Lincoln with a number of family members, said he won't depart for home until sometime late tomorrow morning. He said he's been surprised with how comfortable he's become with the Nebraska program in such a short time.
"It's definitely the people that stick out most about Nebraska," Williams said. "Wherever you go to school, you want to be able to fit in. Everybody here has been absolutely amazing - from the fans, to the coaches, to the players. They've all been really welcoming."
"I've been to Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State and this trip is definitely been No. 1. I mean, today felt like a game day atmosphere and it was only a spring game - a practice. I haven't experienced any negatives on my trip to Lincoln and at all of the other places I visited there was at least one (negative). At Nebraska, I got the immediate gut feeling that this could be it - this could be the right place for me."
In addition to the people, Williams said he's also been impressed with the city itself as well as the facilities at Nebraska.
"The facilities are amazing, probably the best I've seen," Williams said. "I've seen Alabama's weight room and Nebraska's is just as good, if not better."
"The city is what really surprised me though. A lot of people have told me that when I came out here that I wouldn't find anything here - just a bunch of cornfields. When we pulled up yesterday, I said to my family, this is actually a city. There is a lot to do in Lincoln and I think I'd enjoy living here."
According to Williams, he plans to go out and see more of the city and community this evening. He then plans to get a good night's sleep before plotting his next move in the morning.
"This (trip) has been an amazing experience," Williams said. "It's an experience I haven't gotten anywhere else. I'm just on my way out the door to hang out with (Husker quarterback pledge) Jamal Turner tonight."
"As far as a decision, I'm still thinking about that. I'm not ruling out a commitment before I leave but I want to sleep on it tonight. I just want to make sure I have the same feeling about everything when I wake up tomorrow. Right now, I have to say, I have a great feeling."
Williams currently holds 15 scholarship offers, including tenders from Boston College, Cincinnati, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon, Stanford, Syracuse and Wisconsin.
**
And then two days later, he committed to Nebraska:
https://nebraska.n.rivals.com/news/huskers-pick-up-big-dt-commit
4/19/2010
Huskers pick up big DT commit
Mike Matya | Mike Matya
Ever since Nebraska was the first school to send Kevin Williams a written scholarship offer he became enamored with the Cornhuskers' football program.
As multiple new offers arrived in subsequent months, the positive feelings about NU never waned for the Holland (Ohio) Springfield defensive tackle recruit.
After attending Saturday's Red-White spring game with his family, the 6-foot-2, 275-pounder went home to consider what he saw and experienced in Lincoln. Today he decided that he had found his collegiate home and he decided to commit to the University of Nebraska.
"Yeah I actually did come to a decision," Williams said. "I chose Nebraska."
This is NU's sixth verbal pledge for their class of 2011, and in the end it was the hospitality that he was shown by the coaches, players, fellow recruits, and fans over the weekend that was the major factor in his choice.
"My visit this weekend was amazing. It just made me feel at home. The people and how I was treated was the main thing. I got a lot of attention from the fans. I was signing autographs and everything.
"And then the environment at the game was amazing. It was only a spring game, but it felt like it was a regular game."
Williams said that he discussed his decision with his family, as well as Springfield head coach Vince Marrow, and they all supported his decision.
"Yes, my family loved it too. They were a big reason for my decision. Coach Marrow grew up with coach (Bo) Pelini. He knows him personally, and he knows it will be a good fit for me."
It also didn't hurt Nebraska's chances that defensive linemen have thrived under the tutelage of the Pelini brothers, including most recently Ndamukong Suh.
"That had a great impact on my decision. The Pelinis really developed him, and I know that they'll bring the best out of me."
Over the weekend, Williams also got a chance to bond with the other early commits of NU's class of 2011, especially quarterback commit Jamal Turner.
"Jamal was telling me why he committed to Nebraska, and that it's a good place with a lot of good things happening there now. He said that once we commit a lot of other good players will follow suit."
As a junior, Williams recorded 157 total tackles, 15 tackles-for-loss and 15 sacks. He was named first-team all-league, first-team all-district, and special mention All-Ohio.
Williams chose Nebraska over other scholarship offers from Boston College, Cincinnati, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Kansas, Oregon, Stanford, Syracuse, Wisconsin, and several others.
