Analyzing Jonah Williams’ contenders as 5-star LB weighs top schools, MLB Draft potential

Every recruiting class has them: The household names who are tracked breathlessly, who can send a fan base into a whirlwind with one cryptic tweet, who become water-cooler (i.e.,message board) fodder because of two things: They’re really damn good — and they’re uncommitted. As the 2025 recruiting class hits the fall slate of visits, 247Sports is profiling a slew of these players in the War Daddy series as our analysts handicap far-and-wide recruiting battles and tell you why these players matter on a national scale.

In the era of uptempo, no-huddle offenses, defensive coordinators are looking for versatile players with size and speed who can play in space. In the 2025 class, there might not be a better example of this type of player than Jonah Williams.

The five-star linebacker from Galveston (Texas) Ball can play a few different positions on the field and has the size that schools covet.

247Sports ranks the 6-foot-3, 203-pounds Williams as the No. 12 overall prospect, No. 2 linebacker and No. 4 player in Texas. Williams also has a potential future on the baseball diamond where he’s viewed as a legitimate MLB prospect.

While there’s been much discussion over his future position, Williams wants to prove that he can play multiple positions.

“I just want to show I’m an athlete and not limited to one position,” Williams said. “I know God’s ability in me, and I want to show I can do it all on the field.”

Williams recently released his top seven schools. They included LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.

Williams has visits set for LSU, USC, Oregon and Texas A&M this summer. While it’s still a possibility that more visits could be added, Williams told 247Sports that those trips are it for him as of right now.

He’s stated multiple times throughout the spring that getting on the field early is a priority, and he wants to find a program that can develop him for life after football.

“I’m just trying to see where I can fit in and how many positions I can play,” Williams said. “The more versatile you are the more your value is. I’m just looking to play as many positions as I can, get on the field as fast as possible and hurry up and get my degree.”

Baseball could also play a role in the recruitment as Williams wants to play both sports at the next level.

With that in mind, here’s a closer look at each program involved, in alphabetical order.