The super-sized edge from Illinois is bursting at the seams with development potential.
Recruiting for the Michigan Wolverines — like it often does — has slowly picked up over the last few weeks. In June (so far), the Wolverines have seen a trio of players commit and have seen their recruiting class vault nearly 20 spots in the national team rankings.
Most recently, it was three-star running back Jasper Parker . Preceding Parker’s commitment was four-star defensive safety Kainoa Winston . Before Winston, the player who kicked off this recent surge, four-star defensive lineman Jaylen Williams .
Over the next three weeks, we will examine each of these players from a film perspective and break down what they could bring to Ann Arbor in 2025. Let’s get started with Williams.
Background
Jaylen Williams is a composite four-star recruit, the No. 29 defensive lineman and the No. 236 overall player in the class. Hailing from outside Chicago and 8A Palatine High School, Williams is a multi-sport athlete with a basketball background and All-Conference honors to his name in track & field.
Williams is a pure athlete with a five-star’s body, but earned a lower ranking due to his underdeveloped skill set and technical deficiencies. However, there is nothing to suggest that these skills cannot be quickly taught. Given Michigan’s lengthy track record of defensive line development, it’s easy to understand why the Wolverines pursued Williams so heavily.
Measurables
Williams is listed at 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, and looks every bit the part on tape. With a good build and intimidating wingspan, Williams could easily add to this frame and play inside or outside at the next level. In an interview with Rivals , Williams discussed his position at Michigan.
“They see me as just like an edge player. But I’m an edge player that can play any position in the line. It’s just, I can do it all. So they know my body frame is a big body type. I’ve played all type of positions. I play d-tackle. I played it all but they’re primarily seeing me as an edge right now.”
This might be the case early on, with Williams developing into a bigger edge in the vain of Derrick Moore (6-foot-3, 258 pounds), Mike Morris (6-foot-6, 278 pounds), or even the thickest of thick on the edge, Chris Wormley (6-foot-6, 302 pounds). With the ease Williams could carry 300-plus pounds his highest ceiling might be on the interior, but at 6-foot-6, Michigan’s coaches will more than likely keep him as a super-sized edge.
High School Tape
***Take all of this with a massive grain of salt. This evaluation came from several different high school highlight tapes of Williams as a freshman, sophomore, and junior.
For recruits, I always start off with the simplest evaluation before addressing the nuances. I watch the tape all the way through and come up with an over-arching, one-word analysis to describe what stands out the most. For Jaylen Williams, the word was “pursuit.”
Primarily an edge player in either a four-point stance or standing up across a range of techniques from three to nine, Williams has a knack for explosive pursuits and finishing. More quick than fast (think fast 10-yard split in the 40-yard dash, but average speed over the full 40), Williams plays with a “see ball, get ball” mentality and excels at making plays in chaotic, tight spaces.
Williams is a sideline-to-sideline finisher who racks up tackles by cleaning up plays for his teammates. Even when out of position, Williams recovers very well and often finds a way back into every play. However, despite often being the biggest and most physically imposing player on the field, Williams tends to forget this.
At times when he hits the opposition, he’s shocked that they just flew five yards back. Like a train tearing through a Hyundai Sonata, when Williams connects with his body, it is with ferocity that is on par with any player in this class. But this point leads to Williams’ biggest issue which is the root cause of his technical flaws. He’s thinking too much.
Sure, “see ball, get ball” doesn’t seem too complicated, but Williams makes it harder on himself. While looking to make a play, Williams forgets his technique and plays with bad pad level and leverage, and relies too much on his sheer athleticism and length. Williams is so overwhelming at this level that arm tackling is more than sufficient. But at the next level, he will have to learn how to utilize his entire 265 pounds to bring down ball carriers. While thinking does allow him to bat a lot of passes, it also forces him to struggle when shedding blocks from much smaller offensive linemen and miss more obvious pass-rushing keys.
Entering his senior year, expect Williams to become more aware of his overall advantage and to work on playing with better leverage. It’ll take some time at his height, but Williams has everything required to take a big step this season.
Expectations at Michigan
Jaylen Williams is one of those typical Harbaugh-era Michigan recruits. Williams has five-star size and athleticism, and a three-star skill set. Everything that a coach cannot teach, Williams possesses at an elite level, and with everything that can be taught and developed, Williams possesses a well of untapped potential.
Depending on where Williams develops as a senior, it might take him a year or two to find his footing and future position in Ann Arbor. However, if he can learn to play more instinctually and technically before his prep career finishes — and factoring in the heavy turnover the Wolverines could face on the defensive line — there may be no way to keep Williams off the field in 2025.