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Izayia Williams may not be a household name. He intends to change that. It may not happen quickly, but the 6-foot-2, 205-pound linebacker out of Tavares is hoping his name will become well known as he moves through his football career.
Nestled away in the little Lake County town of about 20,000 people, Zay, as his friends call him, roams the defensive middle for Tavares High. He is ranked as the No. 19 player in the state for the Class of 2026 in the 247 Sports composite recruiting rankings, the highest-ranked Central Florida player. The junior wreaks havoc on the football field. He’s a linebacker so talented that his former coach vows, “He’s going to the NFL.”
“Zay is a generational talent, athletically,” said Steven Moffett, who was Williams’ head coach at Leesburg last season. “He’s a great kid to be around and the sky is the limit for him if he stays the right path.
“He will be the best athlete in any room he walks in.”
Big words from Moffett, now the offensive coordinator at The First Academy of Orlando.
Williams played one season at Leesburg and is now back at Tavares, where he played as a freshman in 2022. Bulldogs coach Gavin Jones was certainly pleased to see him back this spring.
“It’s been great because of the way he leads. In the weight room, on the field and everything else. So the other players see what they need to do to get to that level,” Jones said. “He’s a great leader, great player. He’s basically going to play offense, defense. Receiver, running back, safety, linebacker, wherever we need him. He did that in the spring game for us and he did a great job.”
Williams wasn’t sure recruiting attention would ever come. He jumped at his first offer and committed to Louisville in November. He decommitted after Ole Miss offered in December. Syracuse followed with an offer,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tucked-away-little-tavares-resides-155500290.html
Author : Orlando Sentinel
Publish date : 2024-06-20 15:55:00
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