Texas football recruiting: Five-star LB Jonah Williams commits, giving the Longhorns a much-needed in-state win

Texas landed a big in-state commitment on Saturday when five-star linebacker Jonah Williams committed to the Longhorns over LSU and Texas A&M, among others. Williams is the No. 7 overall player and the top-ranked prospect at his position in the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to 247Sports.

Williams didn’t tell coach Steve Sarkisian about his commitment until he made his announcement public Saturday evening. He explained in a restricted interview with 247Sports on Saturday that he chose the Longhorns for a variety of reasons, with LSU coming in second.

“It was just the coaching staff and the atmosphere and life after football,” Williams said. “It was too good an opportunity to pass up. If football ends too soon, you have to think about later.

Williams’ pledge helps the Longhorns in their quest to land a top-five recruit in 2025. The class is currently ranked No. 7 and added four-star offensive tackle Nick Brooks from Georgia a day earlier.

A native of Galveston, Texas, Williams is projected as a hybrid safety at the next level due to his outstanding athletic ability. Williams is compared in a 247Sports scouting report to former Clemson star Isaiah Simmons, who played similar roles as a hybrid safety, linebacker and slot cornerback at the college level.

Williams is also a star high school baseball player, and 247Sports national analyst Hudson Standish believes he has the potential to go pro in any sport. Here’s Standish’s full evaluation of Williams’ game.

One of the most streaky athletes in the 2025 recruiting cycle, and has a legitimate chance to develop into an early-round selection in the MLB or NFL Draft. Two-way star at wide receiver and defensive back for historic TXHSFB program Galveston Ball, leading the Tors to their best two-year stretch since the 1990s. Verified around 6-foot-3.5, 205 pounds, encouraging length and an athletic frame that will provide the ability to add more weight at the next level. Currently projected to play linebacker long-term, but owns an elite combine testing profile that could allow him to remain in the defensive backfield at safety or nickel. Excellent reactionary athlete who can flip his hips to cover space against the pass or put his foot on the ground to trigger in the run game before opponents attack him

Williams marks the second in-state five-star commitment for Steve Sarkisian and company this cycle, joining five-star wide receiver Kalik Lockett, who earlier this month committed to Texas over Alabama, Florida State, LSU and Texas A&M. It’s also a much-needed win for the Longhorns, who found themselves on the wrong end of the recruiting battle for five-star talent like receiver DaCorian Moore (Committed to Oregon) and offensive tackle Michael Fasucci (Committed to Oklahoma) In summer.

Texas moved up to seventh in the team rankings for the Class of 2025, a list that includes commitments from Williams, Lockett, four-star EDGE Lance Jackson, four-star LB Elijah Barnes, four-star ATH Nick Townsend and more. Twelve of Texas’ 17 commitments from the 2025 class are from the state of Texas.