Southwind’s Williams signs with Oregon

Southwind defensive tackle Kristian Williams signed with Oregon on Wednesday, picking the Ducks over Indiana and Memphis among other offers.

It came two days after he decommitted from Minnesota, where he had been committed since December.

“It was pretty tough to make a decision like that especially coming from a person who’s only 17, 18 years old,” Williams said.

“The coaches there understand. I appreciate everyone that recruited me and I appreciate them taking the time to see something in me that I didn’t see in myself.

“I just felt like it was the right fit for me after going there on an official visit and talking to all of the coaches. I felt like they were the ones that would develop me the best and that’s why I chose Oregon over Minnesota.”

The 6-3, 297-pound defensive tackle is the No. 13 prospect in Tennessee, according to the 247Sports composite.

Williams recorded 30 tackles in 2018 with seven sacks and three fumble recoveries. He returned one fumble 75 yards for a touchdown.

For Williams, the moment he stepped on the campus, he knew that Eugene was where he wanted to go.

“I just felt like it was the best place for me, my family and there are many opportunities when it comes to internships,” Williams said. “Football and education are always going to be there for and there was just more a vibe when I got there on campus. It felt like home to me.

“Even though it’s across the country, it felt like it was close and was home. The coaching staff there are truly genuine and the kind of people you can see yourself still be close to 15-20 years in the future.

Williams and his fellow seniors marked the first full class that Southwind coach Rahnmann Slocum and his coaching staff saw all the way through their high school careers.

It was a special day for Slocum as four of his players signed, including his son.

Working his way around the four, Slocum talked about each player, telling stories and why each would succeed.

“Kristian has been a great leader for this program since he’s been here,” Slocum said.

“If I ever had another son, I’d choose him to be that son because he takes the leadership role and understands what we want from him. For a guy to come from a single-parent household with no father, he grasped everything we ever asked him to do and I love him for that.

“He’s going to be OK at Oregon. I can’t wait to see what he does there.”