Hogansville, Ga. defensive end Sam Williams committed to Wake Forest way back in April. After the spring resulted in a number of visits and multiple high major offers, Williams went completely silent.
But Missouri never quit working behind the scenes and the three-star prospect signed with the Tigers on Wednesday. The decision was announced on social media moments ago and Williams has confirmed with PowerMizzou.com that he has signed his National Letter of Intent.
"They have been talking to me for awhile," Williams said of the Tigers. "But I wasn’t interested until a few weeks ago when they started to recruit me hard."
The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder snuck in an under-the-radar official visit to Columbia on the final weekend before the early signing period. He knew at that point he was ready to make the switch.
"They seemed like the best fit for me," he said. "Mizzou during the whole visit showed me what set them apart from other schools and Wake. They showed what they could offer that Wake couldn’t."
Williams played both sides of the ball for Callaway High School. He was selected as an all-state player in 2020 and 2021 and earned all-region honors in 2022. He'll play in the Georgia Elite Classic next week to wrap up his prep career.
At the time of his commitment to Wake, he claimed Power Five offers from Stanford, Colorado, Indiana and West Virginia.
"My strengths are my physicality and my drive as a player," he said. "I see myself playing a huge role on the front line."
Williams said he expects to play more inside than outside, but he is versatile enough to line up on the edge at times. He will arrive on campus in June.
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