Ryan Day’s top-ranked 2027 class could be in danger. Ohio State had made four-star TE Brock Williams its priority, with QB commit Brady Edmunds helping to land him and a strong bond forming with TE coach Keenan Bailey. Now Georgia is playing its game.
After raising earlier issues about Georgia’s tight end production, Williams now feels “fired up” after conversations with Kirby Smart and Todd Hartley. The Bulldogs will now have him for a key visit on January 30–31, 2026, adding real pressure on the Buckeyes.
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After locking in nine early commits, Ohio State turned its attention to priority targets. And Illinois tight end Brock Williams quickly rose to the top of the list. Williams is the consensus No. 2 tight end in the 2027 class, a composite four-star prospect with the tools to make an immediate impact. Landing a player of his caliber would help Ohio State stay at the top of the national recruiting food chain.
The timing made sense, too.
The Buckeyes recently lost starting tight ends Max Klare and Will Kacmarek, with Klare leaving a year of eligibility on the table. Sure, Ohio State added transfers Hunter Welcing and Mason Williams to handle short-term needs and still has young depth on the roster. But Williams represents the long-term future of the position.
But Williams represents the long-term future of the position; the bridge to their next generation of talent. What really helped Ohio State’s push was Williams’ bond with tight ends coach Keenan Bailey.
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“He’s the best,” Williams said of Bailey. “That’s like a best friend to me. He recruits very well, cares about me, and watches my games. I’ll hop on a call with coach (Ryan) Day every week, twice a week maybe. But yeah, my relationship with those guys is absolutely great.”
Williams isn’t being recruited alone, either. Quarterback Brady Edmunds and fellow 2027 offensive commit Jamier Brown have both been active in trying to bring him to Columbus. Williams even praised Edmunds as a recruiter and hinted the two could play seven-on-seven together next year.
His last visit to Ohio State was for the August 30 matchup against Texas, and the Buckeyes haven’t gotten him back on campus since. Still, Georgia looms large.
Williams already visited Athens in October, and another trip scheduled for January 31 gives Kirby Smart a second shot to make his pitch. The thing is, Georgia knows how to sell tight ends. The Bulldogs have earned the “Tight End U” title by developing players like Brock Bowers and Oscar Delp.
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With projected starter Lawson Luckie entering his final year in 2026, Georgia needs its next star tight end ready to step in. Williams fits that mold perfectly. At 6-foot-5, 222 pounds, he has the framework Georgia drools for in an every-down weapon.
“When Coach Hartley offered me, he told me my tape looked a lot like Brock Bowers,” Williams said. “That really stuck with me. That’s a big compliment.”
But OSU and Georgia aren’t alone in the race. The Longhorns have also entered the race as a finalist for the coveted tight end, and Williams visited Austin back on November 22.
Steve Sarkisian and Texas join the race
Steve Sarkisian and his staff have now zeroed in on Brock Williams. According to On3, the four-star tight end has scheduled a visit to Austin on January 24. Texas is pushing hard. Much of that momentum comes from tight ends coach Jeff Banks, as he was in Libertyville last week, continuing to build a relationship that Williams has openly said he values.
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There’s also a clear need in the roster. Sarkisian has already called the tight end room the “biggest question mark”. With Gunnar Helm and Jack Endries either going pro or out of eligibility, the Longhorns are searching for stability at that position. Scheme-wise, Williams fits perfectly, and Sarkisian’s offense treats this position as a movable chess piece.
He is someone who can flex out wide, attack mismatches, or protect the QB. With his prototypical frame, Williams ticks every box as the kind of game-breaking target Texas hasn’t consistently had since Ja’Tavion Sanders.
The long-term vision makes the pitch even stronger. Texas already has five-star 2026 quarterback Dia Bell, who’s expected to take over in 2027 after Arch Manning.
Pairing Bell with a Top-50 national talent like Williams would give the Longhorns a dangerous foundation for years to come. While Texas has younger depth in Nick Townsend and Emaree Winston, Williams has a much higher ceiling. He’s clearly a step above current 2027 commit JT Geraci and 2026 signee Charlie Jilek, both three-stars.
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