UCF Jumps in the Recruitment of Ayden Williams With Offer

Ayden Williams talks about recruiting, what Ole Miss Head Coach Lane Kiffin is like, and his relationship with UCF Director of Recruiting Relations Assistant Kelvin Bolden.

Brian Smith | Mar 1, 2022

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ALPHARETTA, Ga. - Top prospects from across the South, including the state of Mississippi joined up to compete at this year’s Atlanta Under Armour Camp. One of the top prospects in attendance was Ayden Williams from Ridgeland (Miss.) High School.

Williams’ recruitment really started to take hold last summer when he was one of the more well known recruits along the seven-on-seven circuit, as well as turning heads at the University of Florida’s Friday Night Lights even at the end of summer.

Williams was nice enough to talk about his recruitment across the board, and specifically discuss UCF with Inside The Knights.

Ayden Williams Wide Receiver Ridgeland (Miss.) High School 2023 - Atlanta Under Armour — Ayden Williams, Wide Receiver, Ridgeland (Miss.) High School / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

“I’m about 6’3”, 190-pounds,” Williams said after stepping off the turf at Denmark High School. “I lost a little weight because of basketball season, but I’m going to say 190.”

The lanky receiver is taking his time with visits come the month of March, but he’s taking recruiting one day at a time.

“I really don’t have any visits planned in March right now. It’s really just undecided right now. I’m just taking it as they come right now.”

As for the schools recruiting Williams the hardest, he offered the following.

“The hardest? Ole Miss, Oklahoma…I don’t have the Oklahoma offer yet, but I talk to Oklahoma a good bit. And I just talked to Georgia during the (Under Armour) Camp. They said they are going to hit me up Monday, and they are definitely going to be one of my top schools.”

When discussing distance from his home, Williams was somewhat undecided.

“It doesn’t matter to me, as long as I am able to come back and see my family I can really go to New York or somewhere (for college). As long as I can come back and see my family. Because my family, they don’t want me to just stay in Mississippi. They think I need to go out and see everything, meet new people and different cultures and stuff like that.”

As for the Rebels, the curiosity of what Williams thinks of the Head Coach in Oxford had to be asked.

“No, he’s a different guy! He different. He’s chill, but he’s different. You can tell with Lane Kiffin, he’s cut from a different cloth. If you are around him, he’s so cool, like nothing bothers him. He’s just cool. He was talking to my family and stuff. He’s just a laid back person.”

When it comes to a coach that stands out in terms of a relationship with Williams, that’s where UCF comes into play.

UCF is now in the race for Ayden Williams ⁦@aydenwilliams74⁩ pic.twitter.com/tSN0zqvY5X
— Inside The Knights (@UCF_FanNation) March 1, 2022

“Probably Coach (Kelvin) Bolden. He was at Florida, but he’s at UCF now. He called me the other day. I talked to the coaching staff (at UCF). I plan to get down there (to Orlando), too. Coach Bolden, that’s my guy.”

As for UCF in general, Williams offered the following.

“I know a little bit about them. I don’t know too much. Coach Bolden, I don’t think he’d do me wrong. If he’s calling me, it’s a place I could be.”

Final Thoughts

Knowing Williams for roughly a year, he’s a young man with a big personality yet he’s humble about becoming a better football player. Most importantly, this young man tells it like it is. He knows he’s a potentially elite pass catcher but needs to continue to hone his skills. All of those ingredients make him a unique prospect because his physical skill is truly big-time. Speed, length, moves, and hands.

UCF obviously has a chance with Williams because Bolden came over to UCF from Florida where Williams was offered by the prior Gators coaching staff. It’s going to be interesting to see how Williams reacts to UCF once he actually visits the Knights. This could be a really interesting recruitment for UCF.

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