Larry Johnson and the Brotherhood: Ohio State makes strong impression on Florida commit Amaris Williams

COLUMBUS — In some parts of its 2024 class Ohio State is completely finished. Nearly the entire offense is done minus the offensive line. The Buckeyes have pieced together a pretty solid secondary class with at least one more addition to the safety haul. Linebackers are in solid shape as well. It’s the defensive line that highlights the area where the most work needs to get done.

And four-star Clinton (N.C.) defensive lineman Amaris Williams could be the missing piece. The No. 15 defensive lineman and No. 111 overall prospect is currently committed to Florida, but that did not prevent him from making an official visit to Ohio State over the weekend.

The Buckeyes, led by defensive line coach Larry Johnson, were quietly recruiting Williams since the end of August. But things ramped up in mid-September and eventually, Johnson offered Williams which led to the official visit for the Penn State weekend.

By all counts, the visit was a success and Ohio State has given the 6-foot-3, 265-pound prospect plenty to think about regarding his future.

“When I go to college I’m going to be going as a 17-year-old boy and I just want to be under a coach who’s going to teach me the way of life and football,” Williams told Lettermen Row. “Life isn’t just about football, there’s life after football and I want Coach Johnson to show me that.

“He’s an older guy so he’s been through it, he knows how it is. So I want to feel like I have a coach who cares about me and my well-being. And Coach Johnson is like that.”

Williams confirmed with Lettermen Row that he arrived in Columbus on Friday last week. He was able to watch practice and see the team interact with one another. He also sat in a couple of different presentations that Ohio State shows during official visits. Including a presentation on the brotherhood.

That presentation about the brotherhood still stands out to Williams. He noted that after watching the presentation he then got to see it firsthand at dinner. Watching defensive linemen mingle and interact with wide receivers. Two completely different positions and attitudes, but one commonality.

Ohio State.

“They all just show love to each other,” he said. “There’s no sense of hatred between anyone on the team and that’s a good thing to have. You want to have a good relationship with your teammates because it could all come down to that moment and you need each other.”

Williams and Johnson spent extensive time with one another Friday and Sunday. The two broke down his senior film with Johnson adding tips and suggestions for Williams. Things like hand placement and hip movement to little things to see during pre-snap that give away plays. It was one of the more intense film studies Williams has been a part of. Something he could certainly come back for as well.

But it wasn’t just Larry Johnson he spent time with. Williams and head coach Ryan Day and a one-on-one were the first question Day asked him was what family means to him. But he also asked Williams why he could see himself at Ohio State.

“It was just a feeling when I got on campus,” he said. “I felt peace when I got there and it’s just love here. That’s really what I felt coming to Ohio State and leaving.”

Williams is still committed to Florida for the time being and it is probable that he will return to Gainesville for a visit in November. He is also thinking about an official visit to Tennessee, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet. The Buckeyes view Williams as an edge rusher and need one in their No. 2 2024 class.

Five-star defensive tackle Justin Scott and five-star defensive end Eddrick Houston highlight the haul for Johnson, so far. In September the veteran defensive line coach flipped three-star defensive tackle Eric Mensah from Virginia Tech to Ohio State.

Johnson looks to repeat and flip Williams from Florida to Ohio State.

When asked about a potential timeline, Williams mentioned that he wants to be set in stone by December. Regardless of where he goes to school, he will be an early enrollee. The Buckeyes have seemingly made one heck of a first impression on Williams and his family.

He would be a critical addition to the class and while it’s still a little early to tell, Ohio State has a real chance of completing the flip.

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