Four-Star CB Devin Williams An Early Favorite of Tennessee

2025 four-star corner Devin Williams has visited the Tennessee Volunteers numerous times, and his playing style matches their vision for the defense.

The Vols have made an early impression on 2025 four-star corner Devin Williams (Buford, Ga.) has become an early national name. The talented defender has logged 27 offers after his sophomore season and has made stops at Alabama, Auburn, Michigan, and Tennessee this summer. The Vols have gotten him on campus three times in his short high school career and are prioritizing him early in the cycle.

It's quite easy to understand why Tennessee has made Williams such a priority this early. Their fast-paced offense often runs upward of 100 plays per game, meaning the defense will also be on the field a lot. In the grand scheme of things, Tennessee's defense requires high-level athletes with endurance. Specifically, their corners must play bump-and-run man around 30 plays per game on the low end. Williams fits that billing - he's a verified 10.68-second runner in the 100-meter dash and a 50.35-second 500-meter dash. He can flat-out fly and does so in a defense that asks their corners to be proficient in man. Buford High School is one of the top programs in America, and they face Power-5 competition each week. You can't hide corners in Georgia high school football; you've got to be able to stand across from a wide receiver and shut them down.

Defensive backs coach Willie Martinez is a big fan of hip dexterity and foot placement. Everything starts with corners at the beginning of a route. Williams can match a receiver's leverage by quickly chopping his feet and getting a strong gather step before flipping his hips and exploding through his front foot. Williams stands 5-10 and 165 pounds, so he doesn't have the size to overwhelm SEC receivers at the catch point. He always must be in the right position as a result, something Tennessee emphasizes above all.

2025 CB Devin Williams

There's no room for error as a defensive back at Tennessee. Unfortunately, there were many errors in the secondary this past season, an issue the coaching staff is working to correct. Williams is part of their long-term plans, as they view this as someone who wants the mental challenge of going out there every play and performing. The Alabama Crimson Tide are a major factor here, but Tennessee is in good standing with one of its top defensive back targets.

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