UPDATED with statement: Deonte Williams commits to Florida State

UPDATE: On Wednesday afternoon, Williams committed to Florida State:

TN caught up with him after this to get his reaction:

“My family and I are overwhelmed and excited about this opportunity, and being able to follow in my dad’s footsteps is an incredible experience. I’m proud to be a ’Nole and can’t wait to be on campus.”

ORIGNAL STORY:

Deonte Williams was a high 3* OLB from Plano, TX, who chose Baylor out of high school.

Earlier this year, he put his name in the transfer portal.

On Monday, Williams received an offer from Florida State:

TN caught up with the legacy (father, Alphonso, played at FSU) to see where he’s at in the process and what the offer meant:

Would you mind explaining your back-story: how did you end up at Baylor and what’s the history of the medical DQ?

“Coming out of high School, I was highly recruited and decided to take Baylor, because at the time, Baylor was one of my top schools, and they really stayed in contact with me through the whole process.

I knew that going to Baylor would be a good fit for me. I went as a outside linebacker, [but] before I knew it, I put on some weight and moved to DE.

I started as a redshirt freshman at DE and going into my sophomore year, I was off to a good season, [before I suffered] a freak accident and broke my arm on a tackle getting hit by my own teammate.

Going into the spring of the 2018 season, I tried coming back too early, [but] realized it wasn’t fully healed, so after sitting down and having a talk with my dad, we decided to sit out the 2019 season to properly heal.

It was my decision to medically DQ so that I can have time to think about my future going forward. I’ve been cleared by the Baylor doctors going on 5 months now and since then, I’ve been lifting and running, and I’m ready to get back to playing football at a high level.”

How did the FSU offer come about and what’d it mean to you?

“When i entered the portal (a couple months ago), I was contacted by Coach Norvell. I was supposed to take [an] official visit during the Spring Game on April 18th, but with the pandemic going on, the trip was canceled. The offer was really unexpected this early, but it means a lot getting an offer from my dad’s alma mater.”

Do you mind talking a little more about that—what do you know about Florida State (how much does your father talk about it)?

“My dad would always take me back to Florida State when I was younger, and he’d tell stories about the [glory] years. He [also] has [tons of] gear, and a car [with] Florida State colors. He also went back and got his degree in 2014.”

How much does all that play into your upcoming decision?

“My dad’s never put pressure on me to go to any school—I’ve always looked at what would be the right fit for me. I’d go to my dad for [a] second opinion about my decision, and he’d tell me what he thinks without pushing towards anything.”

Have you narrowed your list of contenders?

“Not yet.”

When you’re at your healthiest, how would you describe your game, and what player(s) do you model your game after?

“I play with [a] high-motor and love to attack the ball. I’ve modeled my game after Von Miller since [my] freshman year of high school. When I was young, my dad [sat] me down and had me watch Lawrence Taylor highlights, so I can truly say [both] of these guys have been a big inspiration on how I play the game with a chip on my shoulder.”

When do you hope to have a final decision made and are you eligible immediately?

“Very soon, and, yes, I am.”