Why 5-Star Jonah Williams Committed to Texas Longhorns Over Oregon Ducks, Texas A&M Aggies

No pulling five-star Jonah Williams out of the Lone Star State as the elite recruit picks the Texas Longhorns over the Oregon Ducks, Texas A&M Aggies, LSU Tigers, and USC Trojans.

Kaleb Henry | Aug 24, 2024

Five-star safety Jonah Williams on a visit to the Texas Longhorns. / @409.jonah

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Oregon Ducks football was a finalist but not winner in the courtship of a five-star recruit.

Jonah Williams, a five-star athlete out of Galveston, Texas, has decided to stay home and play for the Texas Longhorns. Williams made his announcement on the On3 Recruits YouTube page, picking Texas over Oregon, Texas A&M, LSU, and USC.

"I'm a Longhorn, man," Williams said during the cheering and excitement.

Williams pointed to the coaching staff, especially safety's coach Blake Gideon, at Texas as for what put his home state's biggest school over the top.

"Coach Gideon, he makes sure my wellbeing's always good," Williams said. "He asks me how I'm doing, how my family and I are doing."

Williams also likes the pro potential that comes with being a Longhorn.

"The way that they planned it out it out for me, I thought it was a perfect fit," Williams said. "Development there is great so that's why I chose the University of Texas."

Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs with the ball during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Alamo Dom

Dec 30, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs with the ball during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Alamo Dome. / Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Williams is the No. 3 player in Texas and No. 10 player in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite. He is the highest-ranked commit for the Longhorns and second five-star. Texas has 18 commits and is No. 7 in the rankings for the class of 2025.

The Oregon Ducks remain at 15 commits for the class and have fallen outside of the top 10 from 247Sports to No. 12 and are No. 13 with Rivals. The Ducks are No. 7 from On3.

A weekend of commitment watching isn't over for Oregon coach Dan Lanning. On Sunday, four-star Miami Central wide receiver Naeshaun Montgomery will make his college choice between Oregon, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, and Penn State.

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Published Aug 24, 2024

KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans.He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team.