Alabama still pushing hard for 5-Star Texas football commit Derek Williams

In the last few weeks, the news cycle has slowed down a bit for the 2023 Texas football recruiting class with the start of the 2022 regular season less than two weeks away. Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian saw the momentum slow down a bit on the recruiting trail in the last few weeks too after having such a solid run throughout the summer.

The success that Sark and the Longhorns staff found on the recruiting trail for the 2023 class this summer allows them to not have to focus quite so many resources in this area during the season. That’s good for the levels of focus and preparation that Sark and his staff can have this fall to get this team ready on the field for a critical 2022 season.

Yet, the results for the Longhorns 2023 class on the recruiting trail will still be important to watch this fall. And one emerging storyline concerning the Longhorns 2023 class that is popping up this week has to do with the official visit schedule for the elite five-star Westgate (LA) safety commit Derek Williams.

It sounds like, despite being committed to Texas for the last couple of months, Williams is still looking to take his official visits this fall. According to a report from Sam Spiegelman of On3 this week (paid content), Williams is still planning on taking his official visits this fall with the highlight being his Oct. 7 trip to Tuscaloosa to see the Alabama Crimson Tide.

That will be a big-time game weekend for the Crimson Tide, as they’re set to host the SEC West Rival Texas A&M Aggies and head coach Jimbo Fisher on Oct. 7.

It is also important to note the official visit for Williams to Alabama for that meeting between the Aggies and Crimson Tide as it also looks like he will make a trip to College Station to see Texas A&M this fall.

5-Star Texas football S commit Derek Williams still in contact with Alabama

It’s becoming clear that Williams is still looking to explore his options, despite reaffirming that he is locked in with Texas on a few occasions in the last three or four weeks. And it sounds like the biggest challengers at the moment for the Longhorns are Alabama and the LSU Tigers.

Alabama continues to try to make a big move for Williams heading into the fall. LSU is trying to do much of the same. But it’s always true that Alabama must be considered a real threat on the recruiting trail when they’re pushing this hard to a five-star prospect.

During the 2022 recruiting cycle, the Longhorns saw Alabama flip a key four-star commit in running back Jamarion Miller. Alabama is making a similar push on the recruiting trail heading into the fall for the talented Louisiana safety Williams.

Texas currently holds commits from 22 recruits in the 2023 class. According to the 247Sports Team Composite Rankings, the 2023 Texas recruiting class ranks at No. 2 in the nation and in the top spot in the Big 12 ahead of the Oklahoma Sooners.