Riley Williams, nation's No. 2 tight end, announces top 8 colleges

Central Catholic tight end Riley Williams is one of the top playmakers on the West Coast

Consensus four-star tight end Riley Williams announced a top eight Wednesday, consisting of Alabama, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Ole Miss and Oregon.

The 6-foot-6, 230-pound pass-catcher, out of Central Catholic High School (Portland, Oregon), is rated the nation’s No. 54 overall prospect and No. 2 tight end.

I would like to thank all the schools that have recruited me up to this point. I will continue my recruitment process with these 8 teams. I am looking forward to growing our relationships over the next few months. 🖤 pic.twitter.com/Ul2sOjObGy

— Riley Williams (@ri_will_) April 6, 2022

While Williams has largely kept his recruitment close to the vest, Oregon has emerged as a major contender thanks to several family connections.

His older brother, Korbin Williams, is a walk-on wide receiver for the Ducks, while two of Williams’ uncles played for Oregon in past eras.

Given that Williams hasn’t said much publicly his top eight isn’t much of a surprise.

However, he has previously indicated that the USC Trojans would be a contender, so their elimination is noteworthy.

Williams is the top prospect in the state of Oregon, and has a chance to become the most offered high school football prospect in state history. 

Overall, he is part of an elite collection of jumbo pass-catchers in the West region in the 2023 recruiting cycle. 

According to 247Sports, three of the nation's top five tight ends hail from the region - Arizona five-star prospect Duce Robinson, California four-star prospect Walker Lyons and Williams.