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Latrell Williams initially planned to shut down his recruitment when he committed to Miami last weekend, but he ultimately was talked into taking his previously planned visit to Tennessee this weekend.
He’s now glad he decided to make the trip.
The three-star senior wide receiver from Columbia High School in Lake City, Fla., said his official visit to Tennessee this weekend turned out to be “way better” than he expected, and he declined to comment Sunday night on where the Vols now stand in his recruitment.
Williams was willing to say, though, that Tennessee made a strong first impression on him.
“It was great. It was different, as far as getting out of Florida,” said Williams, who’s ranked the nation’s No. 722 overall prospect and No. 110 wide receiver in the 247Sports Composite for the 2016 class.
“It was nothing (like) what I expected. It was way better.”
If the 5-foot-11, 169-pound Williams has any thinking to do coming off his weekend trip to Tennessee, he wasn’t ready to discuss what was on his mind Sunday night and exactly how his first look at the Vols might have affected his commitment to Miami.
“I have no comment on that,” said Williams, a former South Florida commitment who parted ways with the Bulls on Jan. 8 and committed to Miami a week later. “I don’t really want to get on that discussion right now.”
After committing to Miami last weekend, he said he didn’t plan to take any additional visits. But he said his high-school coach and Tennessee’s coaches, led by new Vols tight ends coach Larry Scott, convinced him to follow through on his original plan to travel to Knoxville.
“I got talked into it,” Williams said, “and I’m glad I did get talked into it.”
He said he was particularly impressed by Tennessee’s facilities, and he enjoyed spending time with the Vols’ coaches and players, including freshman wide receiver Vincent Perry, who served as his player host for the weekend.
“Player-wise, it was crazy. I wasn’t expecting everybody to be so genuine and cool,” Williams said.
“I went with my mom and my dad and my sister. Tennessee, they’re like a big family school, if you ask me. They’re big on family.”
Williams said he spent plenty of time with Tennessee coach Butch Jones, wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni and Scott, who had Williams on his radar during his previous stint at Miami. He said the Vols didn’t apply much “pressure” to him in explaining his opportunity there.
“It was more like a, ‘This is the type of thing we run, and you could fit into this. This is where you can help us,’ type of thing,’ Williams said. “They’re recruiting me as a slot (receiver). We run that (same) style of offense here, so I’m good.
“It was interesting, because there was no pressure behind it. It was, like, more of an open type of thing — just come, look, see if you like it and then, if so, you can go from there. It was kind of one of those type things.”
He said other teams have continued to reach out to him since he committed to Miami last weekend, and Virginia Tech still is hoping to host him on an official visit next weekend. But he said he’s currently not planning to visit the Hokies, adding that he “was just able to narrow it down” to Miami and Tennessee.
“That’s it, as far as visits go,” Williams said. “Everybody still stays in contact. But this whole contact is getting old. After a while, you just get tired of it, so that’s kind of how I feel. But I know it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I’m taking it to the best.”
He’s now glad he decided to make the trip.
The three-star senior wide receiver from Columbia High School in Lake City, Fla., said his official visit to Tennessee this weekend turned out to be “way better” than he expected, and he declined to comment Sunday night on where the Vols now stand in his recruitment.
Williams was willing to say, though, that Tennessee made a strong first impression on him.
“It was great. It was different, as far as getting out of Florida,” said Williams, who’s ranked the nation’s No. 722 overall prospect and No. 110 wide receiver in the 247Sports Composite for the 2016 class.
“It was nothing (like) what I expected. It was way better.”
If the 5-foot-11, 169-pound Williams has any thinking to do coming off his weekend trip to Tennessee, he wasn’t ready to discuss what was on his mind Sunday night and exactly how his first look at the Vols might have affected his commitment to Miami.
“I have no comment on that,” said Williams, a former South Florida commitment who parted ways with the Bulls on Jan. 8 and committed to Miami a week later. “I don’t really want to get on that discussion right now.”
After committing to Miami last weekend, he said he didn’t plan to take any additional visits. But he said his high-school coach and Tennessee’s coaches, led by new Vols tight ends coach Larry Scott, convinced him to follow through on his original plan to travel to Knoxville.
“I got talked into it,” Williams said, “and I’m glad I did get talked into it.”
He said he was particularly impressed by Tennessee’s facilities, and he enjoyed spending time with the Vols’ coaches and players, including freshman wide receiver Vincent Perry, who served as his player host for the weekend.
“Player-wise, it was crazy. I wasn’t expecting everybody to be so genuine and cool,” Williams said.
“I went with my mom and my dad and my sister. Tennessee, they’re like a big family school, if you ask me. They’re big on family.”
Williams said he spent plenty of time with Tennessee coach Butch Jones, wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni and Scott, who had Williams on his radar during his previous stint at Miami. He said the Vols didn’t apply much “pressure” to him in explaining his opportunity there.
“It was more like a, ‘This is the type of thing we run, and you could fit into this. This is where you can help us,’ type of thing,’ Williams said. “They’re recruiting me as a slot (receiver). We run that (same) style of offense here, so I’m good.
“It was interesting, because there was no pressure behind it. It was, like, more of an open type of thing — just come, look, see if you like it and then, if so, you can go from there. It was kind of one of those type things.”
He said other teams have continued to reach out to him since he committed to Miami last weekend, and Virginia Tech still is hoping to host him on an official visit next weekend. But he said he’s currently not planning to visit the Hokies, adding that he “was just able to narrow it down” to Miami and Tennessee.
“That’s it, as far as visits go,” Williams said. “Everybody still stays in contact. But this whole contact is getting old. After a while, you just get tired of it, so that’s kind of how I feel. But I know it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I’m taking it to the best.”
