.
Florida football has elevated itself as one of the top candidates for 2026 four-star linebacker Izayia Williams after he retracted his Syracuse commitment just a week ago.
Florida inside linebackers coach Ron Roberts went to Williams’ school back in May and made an offer to the 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound linebacker. So it is quite evident that Billy Napier and his staff hope to land the four-star defender.
Williams comes out of Leesburg (Florida) Tavares and could potentially be staying in-state for his collegiate career.
Top schools contending for Williams
Williams has made it clear that the Gators, Florida State and Miami are the “big dogs” in terms of the schools he would play for in the state of Florida.
“Those three keep in contact with me the most,” Williams told Swamp247. “I want to play football at a big school. Not to say UCF and them aren’t big schools in the state, but those three are the big dogs in Florida. They all do a good job keeping in contact with me them most.”
Williams also ranked those top three Florida schools.
“Florida is number one, Miami number two, and then Florida State is number three.”
What Williams likes about the Gators
Williams understands that academics play an important role and mentions that it’s not a guarantee that a player will make it to the NFL.
“I really like their academics,” Williams said. “It can’t be all about football, and I understand that not everyone is going to go to the NFL. I know I need to hit the books, but the football is good there too. They have good coaching there. One of my favorite things about them is the atmosphere they have there.”
Williams’ relationship with Florida’s coaches
“Getting to see Coach (Austin) Armstrong and the rest of the guys,” Williams said about the Florida coaches. “They have been calling me and talking to me. I talk with Coach Armstrong, Coach…
..
