Canton (Ga.) Creekview 2020 offensive lineman John Williams publicly announced his commitment to Clemson on Saturday, less than two weeks after receiving an offer from the Tigers on Aug. 19.
Williams (6-5, 270) was on campus for Clemson’s season-opener versus Furman and made his commitment official when he met with head coach Dabo Swinney before the game. But Williams’ decision has been a done deal since Monday.
“I actually committed to Coach (Robbie) Caldwell and Coach (Brandon) Streeter last Monday but wanted to commit face to face (Saturday) with Coach Swinney,” Williams told The Clemson Insider. “This is a really big deal and it needed to be done face to face.”
Williams chose Clemson over offers from NC State, North Carolina, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Wisconsin, Maryland, Wake Forest, Virginia and Memphis.
The junior offensive tackle said his commitment decision was a no-brainer. In fact, he has known for a few years now that he wanted to play for the Tigers.
“The decision was really easy,” he said. “Clemson has been my favorite school since I first visited in 8th grade. It is the school I compared everyone else to and felt at home at.”
Prior to Saturday, Williams visited Clemson to compete at the Dabo Swinney Camp in June. He also attended the Tigers’ junior day in March.
Williams says several things separated Clemson from the rest of the schools recruiting him.
“The football facilities are amazing,” he said. “With Clemson you get the best coaches, the best facilities and the best school. There is nothing else in my book.”
His relationship with Clemson’s coaching staff was an important factor in his college choice.
“The coaches are really great men,” Williams said. “They are people I can look up to. They walk the walk when it comes to family, faith, school and football. They have high expectations and will make sure you are getting the best out of yourself.”
Williams is All In with Clemson. There is more than a year left until he can sign with the Tigers, but his recruitment is over and his mind is made up.
Swinney was stoked on Saturday when Williams gave him the news.
“Coach Swinney was excited when I committed,” he said. “We talked for a bit about what committing to Clemson meant and his expectations. He wanted to make sure I was sure. I told him there wasn’t anything he said that could change my mind about committing. I was very sure Clemson was my school.”
As a sophomore last season, Williams was an all-county performer for Creekview (6A classification). He was recently named one of the “Super Six” players in Cherokee County by the Cherokee Tribune.
He becomes the first offensive commitment in Clemson’s 2020 class and third total commitment, joining Hartsville (S.C.) defensive lineman Demonte Capehart and Fort Valley (Ga.) Peach County linebacker Sergio Allen.