Tennessee impressed three-star offensive tackle Mike Williams on his first visit on Saturday. He was so impressed he added the Vols to his top-eight schools, which he announced on Saturday as well.
Williams got a chance to sit in on offensive line coach Glen Elarbee’s position meeting on Saturday.
“It was really eye-opening,” Williams told Off The Hook Sports. “He coaches different than the other visits I’ve been to. He’s really keen on the fundamentals. Also, it’s just the little things. They all pay attention, they make some jokes sometimes, they listen to music. In other offensive line meetings, everybody is all serious. It was just a different vibe.
“It was like a brotherhood.”
Elarbee’s attention to detail and technique during Saturday’s practice impressed Williams.
“It was high intensity in practice,” Williams said. “Really developing their technique, I really like that. (Elarbee) doesn’t play about the technique part, he’ll get you right.”
The 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive lineman attends Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Baltimore. Tennessee’s coaching staff told Williams he will likely specialize as a “big athletic tackle.” The Vols extended him a scholarship offer at the end of February.
The opportunity to stick at tackle, the position he specialized at in high school, is also comforting to the three-star prospect.
“Some colleges say you got to play both,” Williams said.
Williams also got the opportunity, along with other prospects, to attend a cookout to get more familiar with the Vols’ staff in a less formal setting. He also got to get to know Josh Heupel during that time as well.
Williams called Heupel a “good guy” and that Heupel was impressed with his film.
“He said I was quick for my size,” Williams said. “He also said I have good hands and quick feet.”
The uptempo offense that Heupel runs at Tennessee wouldn’t be a very big jump for Williams, who is familiar with the scheme from his high school.
Williams dropped his top-eight school soon after he left Tennessee’s campus, which includes Miami, Michigan State, South Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, Southern Calif. and Virginia Tech as well as Tennessee.
Williams expects to take an official visit to Miami and South Carolina. He also hopes to set up an official visit to Tennessee. He isn’t sure of when he will commit yet.
He dove into his other top seven schools with Off The Hook.
Miami: “Miami was my first offer of 2023. Cristobal, the head coach, a really great offensive line coach.”
Michigan State: “I really like Michigan State, I’m big on Michigan State too.”
South Carolina: “I got a couple teammates who go there now. I really like their environment there too, great fanbase.”
West Virginia: “I’ve been up to West Virginia about six times now, it’s nice.”
Maryland: “Maryland was the first school to offer me. And also that’s my hometown team.”
Southern Calif.: “I have a couple of teammates who go there too. Also, that was one of my dream schools growing up. I always wanted to live in California.”
Virginia Tech: “That was a great experience, I had never been to Virginia Tech.”
