USC watches Atlanta CB practice, extends offer

Atlanta (GA) Westlake cornerback Addison Williams saw his week start off on a favorable note when two college coaches stopped by for one of his spring practices and offered him his first two scholarships before leaving campus.

"South Carolina and Mississippi State offered me on Tuesday," the 5-foot-9, 173-pound Williams said. "Coach (Ron) Cooper from South Carolina and Coach (Guy) Holiday from Mississippi State both came by to see me practice, and both of them told my coaches before they left that they were offering me. Those were my first two offers, so I was pretty excited."

Williams, who has been timed in the 40-yard dash in under 4.4 seconds, has ties to the Gamecock program.

"I actually used to go to Banneker High School, so I've played with Carlos Thomas in the past, and he's at South Carolina now" Williams said. "I still talk to him all the time. I went there for a game last year, and I like the intensity of the crowd and the overall environment. I'm going to be visiting a lot of SEC and ACC schools this summer, and they'll be one of the ones I'll go to."

Williams, who racked up 32 tackles and six interceptions as a junior, also offered his thoughts on the Mississippi State program.

"I know they're in a rebuilding stage right now, so that means there would be a good chance for me to come in and start pretty early," he said. "I also hear they have nice new facilities."

Teams like Auburn, Clemson and Florida are also high on Williams' list.

"I'm good friends with Tristan Davis at Auburn, and that's actually where I spent most of my time last season. I went to a lot of their home games. I like their aggressive style on defense. I like the atmosphere at Clemson, and I've always like their program. Florida has a big tradition, and they send a lot of DB's to the NFL."

Williams says three things are most important to him in a school.

"I really want to go to a program with coaching stability," he said. "I also want a chance to play early. I'm not looking for anyone to give me a starting spot, but just a chance to compete for one and earn it. Of course, academics are also a priority."

Williams is in no hurry to make a decision.

"I want to take all five of my official visits, so it will be sometime after my season before I commit to anyone."

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