2026 Defensive Back Talks Tennessee Visit

2026 Jalen Williams talks Tennessee visit with Tennessee on SI

Caleb Sisk | Oct 15, 2024

Sep 17, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers secondary coach Willie Martinez coaches during the first half against the Akron Zips at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-Imagn Images / Bryan Lynn-Imagn Images

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Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee had multiple recruits on campus for the Florida vs. Tennessee game. One of the recruits on campus was Jalen Williams. Williams is a 2026 four-star defensive back from Kell High School in Georgia.

Following his visit the 2026 DB caught up with Tennessee on SI.

“The visit was cool. I had never been to the stadium. I only saw the practice facility when I camped in the summer but it was good to see the gameday atmosphere, the school, and fans in general,” said Williams. “The game was intense! It was looking shaky early. Gators seemed to come out more ready at first, but Tennessee settled in and started making plays. At one point I did think Gators were bout to sneak the W out.” Tennessee walked out of Neyland Stadium with an overtime win over Florida by a score of 23-17.

Williams had the opportunity to speak with the coaching staff briefly. This was mainly due to the large demand of talent in the area compared to the average Saturday recruiting scene. “I spoke briefly with Coach Ruzic when I did my height and weight check-in. I saw coach Martinez very briefly, but he didn’t really speak to me.”

He is unaware if he will visit again in-season as the season concludes. He is hopeful when he does visit again he will have the opportunity to speak with more of the coaches for a longer period of time. “As of right now, I don’t think so. Not in season anyways. Maybe after the season when I can spend more time with the coaches and get a better feel for everything. For now, I’ve gotta prioritize the schools I feel are prioritizing me. So I’ll regroup and talk with my parents and coaches and move from there.”