Longhorns Country

WATCH: Texas 5-Star Safety Commit Jonah Williams Scores 5 TDS in Season Opener

At this point, it's harder to tell what five-star Jonah Williams can't do after his awe-inspiring performance for Galveston Ball to kick off the season.

Evan Vieth

Recruit Jonah Williams watches Ohio State warm up before playing Penn State Oct. 21, 2023 at Ohio Stadium.
Recruit Jonah Williams watches Ohio State warm up before playing Penn State Oct. 21, 2023 at Ohio Stadium. / Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
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At this point in recent Texas commit and Ball High School standout athlete Jonah Williams' athletic career, it's less about what he can do and more about what he can't.

The two-sport athlete can be seen throwing in the mid-low nineties with his fastball from the left side of the mound, or playing center field in either of his choice of sports: football or baseball. The junior is the No. 1 ranked safety in the 2025 class, while also being a potential everyday centerfielder or pitcher on a D1 baseball team.

Now, Williams is proving that he can really do anything, no matter the side of the ball. In Galveston Ball's first game of the season yesterday against Manvel, Williams took little time to make a huge impact on the game. In fact, the first touch of the game was in his hands, as a kick returner, where he housed the ensuing kickoff without being touched.

When Manvel took a kickoff back of their own shortly afterward, it was Williams who blocked the extra point, proving his worth as a special teams ace.

The defensive back also added impact on another part of the field: the offense. Oddly enough, every part of the game but the defense was what Williams shined in in the first quarter, as Ball's wildcat formation with the 6'3 athlete at the helm resulted in three touchdowns, one of them being his own.

Even with Ball up by over three touchdowns at half, Williams didn't take his foot off the gas. Now playing in what felt like his tenth position of the night, Williams caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from the slot, followed by a back shoulder fade on the boundary for his fourth touchdown of the night in just the fourth quarter.

By the time the whistle blew, Williams had recorded five touchdowns: two on the ground, two in the air, and one on a kick return, in Ball's 54-26 win.

Williams playing on both sides of the gridiron is still up in the air for when he joins the Longhorns in 2025, but for now, fans can enjoy a slew of filthy highlights and stat lines as he inches closer to the 40 Acres.

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Evan Vieth
EVAN VIETH

"Evan Vieth is a contributor covering the Texas Longhorns for Sports Illustrated and a rising senior at the University of Texas at Austin, studying journalism and sports media. Since joining SI and On SI in May of 2024, Evan has dedicated his efforts to providing in-depth coverage of Texas athletics. He also serves as the sports editor for The Daily Texan, where his commitment to Texas Sports began in 2021. In addition to his work with SI and The Daily Texan, Evan has written for On SI, The Texan, and Dave Campbell's Texas Football. He created his own Texas Sports podcast, The 40 Yard Line, during his time at UT Austin. His reporting has taken him to locations like Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and The Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Originally from Washington, DC, Evan has been surrounded by sports his entire life, playing baseball and soccer and writing sports stories since high school. Follow him on Twitter @evanvieth or contact him via email at evanvieth@utexas.edu."

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