Florida football recruiting: Gators make the top five for versatile DT
By Will Thomas
![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier gestures during spring football practice at Sanders Outdoor Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Spring Football Practice](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fed9ae5224fcab593b9a15a8a9b8e185dd74c700ac27ca528627146286535e0ce.jpg "Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier gestures during spring football practice at Sanders Outdoor Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Spring Football Practice")
Florida football recruiting is on the hunt for a monster on the defensive line to add to their reserve, and they’re well on their way to adding one from the 2024 class.
As the Gators continue to add to their elite ’24 haul, they turn their attention to North Carolina for a versatile defender.
Amaris Williams, a DT from Clinton, North Carolina, recently named his top five schools, and the Gators made the cut.
Other finalists include Tennessee, Penn State, North Carolina State, and Georgia.
Thank you to all the schools that have given me the opportunity to play Division 1 football. After much consideration here are my Top 5 schools. pic.twitter.com/3WgDuYoLrz
— Amaris Williams (@AmarisWilliam13) May 25, 2023
Williams has pretty solid ratings across the industry, with On3’s industry rating having him as the 239th-best player in the country, the 26th-best DL in his class, and the 6th-best player coming out of North Carolina.
The reason that I throw the word versatile around so much when talking about Williams is because of how much he can do on the field.
He gets lots of snaps at DL, his primary position, and reps at running back and tight end.
In 2022 he totaled 65 tackles and 18 sacks on the defense side of the ball. Offensively he carried the ball 32 times for 251 yards and five scores, as well as catching a pass for a 25-yard score.
He has good size at 6’3”-260 and is able to use his frame to slide through the offensive line and get to the backfield. Amaris has an explosive first step, and a lot of offensive linemen can’t keep up with him.
He uses his speed and athleticism offensively too, possessing the ability to explode through gaps as a ball carrier, as well as lay devastating blocks as a tight end.
The Gators are second in William’s recruitment behind his home state NC State Wolfpack, but Napier is making good progress. They have an official visit scheduled for the weekend of June 16th to try and sway him toward Gainesville. It will be his first visit to UF.
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Keep up with Florida football recruiting at Hail Florida Hail.