re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition

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Just a few weeks after picking up an offer from Alabama, one of the nation’s top quarterbacks has decided to reopen his recruitment.

Jarren Williams, a 3-star former Kentucky commit from Central Gwinnett High School (Lawrenceville, Ga.), has de-committed from the Wildcats, according to his coach. Williams had been committed to Kentucky since June of 2016.

When SEC Country met with Williams shortly after picking up his Alabama offer, he told us that while he was still committed to Kentucky, he was still entertaining offers elsewhere. Florida, Florida State, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Tennessee, in addition to Kentucky, were the schools recruiting him the hardest as of two weeks ago.

Alabama is still in search for a quarterback in its Class of 2018, and the Crimson Tide staff is expected to see Williams throw in person this spring.

Nick Saban told Williams on his visit to Tuscaloosa earlier this month that he has what he’s looking for in his potential Class of 2018 quarterback. Saban wants a combination of a pro-style passer and a dual-threat quarterback.

That’s what Williams is, according to Wofford.

“He has all of the physical abilities that Alabama is looking for,” Central Gwinnett coach Todd Wofford said. “He’s 6-foot-3 and has a very strong, accurate arm. On top of that, he can run. He’s not an athlete playing quarterback. He’s a quarterback who can pass and who also happens to be athletic enough to run. He has that ‘it’ factor. I think that’s something Nick Saban likes.”

Mac Jones was looked at as Kentucky’s leader in the Class of 2017 before flipping to Alabama during one of Saban’s summer camp sessions last year. The quarterback just now finished his first spring in Tuscaloosa.

Flash forward nearly a year after Jones flipped from Kentucky to Alabama, and here we are with another Wildcats quarterback commit who was once viewed as one of the building blocks in their class.

Williams didn’t throw his first interception last season until the eighth game of the season, and that came on a tipped pass. He finished his junior season throwing for 2,618 yards with 26 touchdowns and 4 interceptions while rushing for 396 yards and 9 touchdowns in 11 games.

Perhaps it will be déjà vu all over again for Alabama and a former Kentucky quarterback commit.

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