Florida 4-Star LB puts Alabama in Top 5 ahead of visit

Izayia Williams released his top five schools ahead of an unofficial visit to Tuscaloosa to check out the Alabama Crimson Tide

Williams is a product of Tavares High School in Tavares, Florida.  He currently has Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia and Penn State in his top five. He is set to visit Alabama for Junior Day on Feb. 1.

The junior spoke glowingly of the Crimson Tide while discussing Alabama at the Under Armour All-America Media Day.

“When I think about Alabama, I think about all the great stuff that happened there,” Williams said. “They’re winners.
So, it’s like who doesn’t want to be a part of winning

The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder finished his junior season with 137 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and six sacks. He shined with his ability to get after the football in space and drop back to defend the pass.

Watch Izayia Williams Highlights Below:

Alabama Makes Coaching Move After Disappointing Season

The Alabama Crimson Tide are fresh off their first season under head coach Kalen DeBoer. After a historic run from head coach Nick Saban, who led the program to six national titles from 2007 to 2023, DeBoer was handed the keys to the SEC powerhouse. Alabama finished the 2024 season with a 9-4 record and a 5-3 mark in SEC play.

While they successfully defeated a few ranked opponents, such as No. 2 Georgia, No. 15 LSU and No. 21 Missouri, the Crimson Tide had clear questions to answer after the season.

Following a disappointing year, Alabama made a coaching move that should significantly impact the defense. The Crimson Tide announced the hiring of assistant defensive backs coach Jason Jones.

The move from the Crimson Tide comes weeks after the firing of defensive backs coach Colin Hitschler, who spent one year with the program. Jones joins defensive coordinator Kane Wommack in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

When asked about the opportunity to return to the Crimson Tide, where Jones won an SEC championship as a player in 1999, he coined Alabama as a “special place.”

Tuscaloosa is a special place to me,” Jones said, per Colin Gay at Tuscaloosa News. “My family is here, a lot of friends are here. The University of Alabama is special to me. That’s why I got started in coaching, you know? And so this is where I played, and got a chance to get started and introduced to coaching here. And now you got a chance to come back … it’s great.”

Jones began his coaching career with the Crimson Tide as a graduate assistant under head coach Mike Shula from 2003 to 2004.

He has since served as a coaching staff member, most notably in a defensive backs role with Tulsa, Rice, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, FAU and Indiana.