In an age when losing big games or missing out on the College Football Playoff typically leads to players transferring or decommitting, one of the top recruits from the 2025 class — Amaree Williams — has reclassified to 2024 and is making an official visit to Florida State.
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North Palm Beach (Fla.) The Benjamin School Top247 defensive lineman Amaree Williams tells 247Sports he's reclassifying from the 2025 class. He adds that he'll also take an official visit to #FloridaState this weekend.
Story: https://t.co/N1U3GS3QiS pic.twitter.com/nvN9z4MNXq
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) December 15, 2023
The Seminoles, of course, infamously missed out on the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff despite going 13-0 and winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. The main reason they were left out revolved around the loss of quarterback Jordan Travis, who suffered a gruesome leg injury earlier in the season.
That said, instead of going to visit one of the four teams in the playoff, Williams — whom 247Sports ranks as the No. 1 athlete and No. 29 overall prospect — is headed to Florida State for a visit.
Further, his reclassification means that if Florida State lands him, we could see the defensive lineman on the field as soon as next season.
Williams, a North Palm Beach, Florida, native from The Benjamin School, is a 6-foot-4, 215-pound defensive lineman. In addition to Florida State, Williams has received interest from a long list of teams including — but certainly not limited to — Georgia, Florida, Miami, Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon, South Carolina, USC, Kentucky, Penn State and Texas.
Yeah, there's plenty of interest.
So far, Williams has had game visits to Florida, Georgia, Miami, Texas, USC, Kentucky and Ohio State.
In high school, Williams played both ways. He had 16 receptions for 424 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games. In that same span, on defense, he had 34 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and four sacks. He had 15 sacks in his sophomore year.
Williams' father, Moe Williams, played at Kentucky and in the NFL for 10 years, from 1996-2005, for the Minnesota Vikings (nine seasons) and Baltimore Ravens (one season). He racked up 435 carries for 1,826 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Here's what 247Sports had to say about Williams from a scouting perspective:
"A two-way, mid-skill athlete with an impressive multi-sport background and NFL bloodlines. Gets the job done as a jumbo wide receiver and could transition to a move tight end at the next level, but ceiling looks to be highest as a 3-4 linebacker that can rush the passer in some situations and drop back into coverage in others. Fluid in space and oftentimes aware of his surroundings. Quick to close gaps and has flashed the ability to dip and bend when asked to attack the corner, although he will need to learn the true art of hand-to-hand combat if he's going to be deployed as a full-time edge player on Saturdays. As a pass catcher, can play above shoulder pads while fighting for ground. More notably, can evade defenders with the ball in his hands. Eventually, will need to settle on a position and fine-tune his craft, but rare athletic traits suggest that he will be able to make an impact somewhere at the Power Five level. Biggest question mark at this stage appears to be long-term growth potential as he's believed to be hovering somewhere around 6-foot-4, 215 pounds midway through junior campaign - and ability to add or not add mass will likely dictate where he lines up."
