Every day until fall camp begins for Ohio State, we will profile a different Buckeye football player. Today that player is freshman defensive tackle Tyleik Williams. Yesterday it was receiver Chris Olave. You can find all of the daily Scoop Profiles right here.
Tyleik Williams
No. 91 | Defensive Tackle | 6-3 330 | Freshman | Unity Reed High School | Manassas, Virginia
How’d He Get Here
Michigan and Penn State offered Tyleik Williams in the spring of 2019. Old Dominion and Temple would offer in the ensuing months as well. Alabama offered in February of 2020, as did Florida State. Ohio State finally extended an offer in April of 2020. There were no visits permitted, but it wasn’t long before there was positive buzz coming from the Buckeyes’ side. Williams committed to Ohio State on August 27, then enrolled early and took part in winter conditioning and spring ball this year. He was the No. 164 player in the 2021 class and the No. 10 defensive tackle in the nation.
Current Situation
Tyleik Williams was able to participate in winter workouts and spring practice, but did deal with some minor injuries during camp. With the departure of nose tackle Tommy Togiai, there is a need for some beef up front. The good news is that Williams may just be the whole butcher shop. Williams spent the spring rotating in mostly with the twos and just getting experience against some very talented offensive linemen. The Buckeyes have depth up front but aren’t necessarily deep with standout producers. His snaps may be limited, but he’ll have an opportunity to increase them as the season goes on.
What to Like
At 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds, Tyleik Williams has good size for a nose tackle. The Buckeyes don’t necessarily need the big one-tech nose tackle, but Williams isn’t your standard nose tackle. The staff loves his feet and quickness. He is a mobile defensive tackle and is plenty strong for somebody who shouldn’t even be in college yet. His desire to get to work as quickly as possible is something that the coaches love. With the head start up front, he will be able to hit fall camp at full speed.
What’s the Ceiling This Year?
The Buckeyes may not have Tommy Togiai at nose tackle anymore, but they still have a number of veteran options. One of Taron Vincent or Haskell Garrett could start there, and they could be backed up by Antwuan Jackson and Jerron Cage as well. Given the experience on hand, finding time for Tyleik Williams won’t exactly be a priority. However, if he reaches his freshman ceiling this year, he will push Cage and Jackson for playing time. If that happens, then the prioritization of playing time will change.
And Beyond?
Ohio State has four senior defensive tackles on this year’s roster, so any playing time Tyleik Williams gets this year will help him in his quest for a starting job next year. He is going to have a great opportunity this year to learn from some veterans and then apply it in 2022. It is very easy to see Williams in the starting lineup next year. The Buckeyes have depth in 2021, but much of it is unproven. The young depth will need to step up in 2022, and Williams will be at the top of that list with classmate Mike Hall. It’s too early to project what Williams will become down the road without seeing him in action first, but the buzz this spring was certainly indicative of a very promising future.