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Darion Williamson is a 6’3 190 pound athlete (wide receiver) from Brownsville, TN.
The Class of 2020 signee is finishing up at Haywood High School and had an 86 rating (3*) from the 247 Sports Composite List. The sites considered him the 713th best player in America (42nd best athlete and 20th best player in Tennessee).
Williamson had offers from Arkansas, Memphis, Tennessee, and Virginia.
He received his Florida State offer less than a month before Signing Day (the Razorbacks and Cavaliers quickly followed suit):
Truly Blessed and Honored to be offered by @FSUFootball @Coach_Norvell @Locklyn33 @CoachYACJohnson @CoachSmithHHS @CoachRebstock @HaywoodSchools ❗️ pic.twitter.com/o8KhDABPF4
— Darion Williamson4️⃣ (@d_dub4_) January 10, 2020
The long-time Tennessee commit flipped to FSU less than a week before NSD:
Further recruitment is shutdown❗️ pic.twitter.com/ya7p8b2P06
— Darion Williamson4️⃣ (@d_dub4_) January 28, 2020
TN caught up with Williamson recently to learn more about the person and player:
You were a Tennessee commit for a long time—why’d you flip and sign with FSU?
“Switching my commitment was made easier due to the fact that the only coach I had communication with at The University of Tennessee (David Johnson) had been hired at Florida State. Coach Norvell recruited me while he was at [Memphis] and him also being hired at Florida State made the decision easy.”
What’s Coach Norvell like?
“Coach Norvell is an amazing guy—he’s uplifting and full of positive energy.”
What about Coach YAC?
“Coach YAC is one of the realest coaches I ever met.”
How was the official visit to Florida State?
“The official visit to FSU was everything I expected and more. My favorite part of the whole visit was when we walked the field at night with the [warchant] playing and [the] lights on.”
Were you able to connect with any of the current players?
“Keyshawn Helton and Camren McDonald.”
What were they like?
“Really cool and down to earth—I had fun with them.”
Who are you rooming with when you get to Tallahassee?
“Me and my hometown teammate (Markeston Douglas) are trying to room together.”
What’s Markeston like?
“He’s a good dude—likes to have fun and joke around sometimes. We ride four wheelers together when we link up.”
Did you help him decide to pick up football this last year of high school?
“Yeah, I did. When our new coaches arrived, one of the first things they said was ‘if [there are] any friends or guys you know that should be playing football, tell them to come out.’”
How much convincing did it take?
“Not much because I think he wanted to play, and he knew he could have his college education paid for if he worked for it!”
How would you describe your game?
“Physical and fast!”
What player(s) do you look up to/model your game after?
“Mike Evans, Julio Jones, and DK Metcalf.”
Have you spoken w/ Coach Dugans?
“We [are] starting to have Zoom calls, and I’m getting taught the offense—I haven’t gotten on with Coach Dugans yet, but that’s going to happen soon.”
How are you feeling about the offense?
“With what I’ve learned so far, I feel confident I’ll be able to [get] it quickly.”
Has the staff sent you workout and/or meal plans, as well?
“Workouts. I haven’t received any meal plans yet.”
How weird has it been going from textbooks and practices to having all learning done virtually (class and football)?
“The school work [is] fine , but the football is what really feels different to me.”
Gotcha—how have you had to adapt for football?
“Just meetings on Zoom learning the offense, and I’m still attending rehab for my ACL tear, so workouts are limited at the moment. I should be released on full-go soon.”
What are your goals for your your first year at Florida State (on and off the field)?
“Academically, I want to have at least a 3.0 GPA my whole career. Athletically, I just want to get in [the] best shape possible, get around 210 (pounds) my freshman year.”
What about for the entirety of your FSU career and beyond?
“To be the best teammate and student-athlete possible—while doing that, I should break records and have crazy-good stats.”
What are you planning to study in school?
“Civil Engineering or Business Management”
Why would you choose those?
“Because I know those fields have many different possible careers.”
What do you like to do for fun away from the football field?
“I like to fish, ride four-wheelers, hunt, eat, travel, swim, and go to movies.”
Final one: what’s something people might not know about you?
“I’m a genuine person, and I like to help people the best way I can!”