Kamehameha's Williams commits to Utah
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
After a whirlwind week of back-to-back recruiting trips, Kamehameha center Tyler Williams said yesterday he has accepted a football scholarship to the University of Utah.
Williams, an Advertiser all-state first-team selection, returned yesterday from Salt Lake City, where he told coaches during the weekend of his decision.
Williams
"I liked the fact that they said I have a chance of playing next year," said Williams, who is 6 feet 2 and 285 pounds.
Utah, coming off a 12-0 season that included a 35-7 Fiesta Bowl win against Pittsburgh, will be led by new coach Kyle Whittingham, who was promoted from defensive coordinator to replace Urban Meyer, now at Florida. The recruitment of Williams shows the Utes' continued interest in Hawai'i players. Utah's roster lists 12 players from here.
With his verbal commitment, Williams said he will cancel future recruiting trips to Tennessee, UNLV and Washington.
Because Kamehameha's upper school was still on winter break, Williams also made a recruiting visit to Ohio, a member of the Mid-American Conference, last week. He left last Monday for Ohio, returned Thursday and departed that same evening on a red-eye to Utah.
Ohio, UNLV and Washington also offered him scholarships, he said, adding that Tennessee was going to wait until he made the trip there before making an offer.
Williams said he had interest in Ohio because its coach is Frank Solich.
"He's like a legend," Williams said of Solich, who once coached at Nebraska.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
