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Devon Williams grew up in Dublin, Ohio, which is only 15 miles northwest from Ohio State, so it’s no surprise the Gophers linebacker grew up a Buckeyes fan.
But now with Minnesota, his first trip to the “Horseshoe” in 2023 went poorly. He made four tackles but received a season-low grade from Pro Focus in the Gophers’ 37-3 loss at Ohio Stadium.
Needs became a must as Williams was thrust into a starting spot due to that season’s rash of linebacker injuries and transfer portal defections.
“Thinking I was ready, but I really wasn’t,” Williams recalled in July. “It’s pretty much as simple as that. … But it was a lot. You got to be strong enough. You got to be fast enough and you’ve got to have the mental stability to each and every week prepare for the next team. And at that time, I, honestly, wasn’t ready.”
Two years later, the senior is much more prepared for Saturday’s homecoming of sorts in Columbus, Ohio. With a career-high 13 tackles in Saturday’s 31-28 win over Rutgers, Williams is the Gophers’ leading tackler (31) through one-third of the season.
“He has made some of the biggest changes in my 13 years being a head football coach, from the first time I met him to where he is now,” head coach P.J. Fleck said on his KMSP Ch. 9 coaches show after the season-opening win against Buffalo.
Here are five things to know about Williams:
Moving forward
“It was a lot of areas of my life that I didn’t really have in order,” Williams said on TV, declining to share details. “Being here (at Minnesota), allowed me to see those things and just attack them every single day.”
Williams said he needed to avoid getting “too stressed out.”
“When you get hit with adversity, you can either keep going or you can think about the past, you can harp on it too much, and things like that,” he said Wednesday. “Earlier in my career, I did that, and then now it’s kind of like, okay, what’s the next right step? And just taking each single step every single day.”
Back in Ohio
Mark Crabtree coached Williams at Dublin Coffman High School, and he eerily echoed Fleck’s words.
“I think he probably has matured as much as any player that I’ve ever been a part of,” Crabtree told the Pioneer Press. “Forget the football piece for a minute. I’m really happy for him on a personal note because of where I think he is in life at this point.”
Crabtree often stays in touch with former players early in their college careers. But he hasn’t connected with Williams lately.
“Obviously, I’d like to stay in touch with them more often, but it’s a good sign to me when, as they get older, you’re not as in touch with them as much because they’re they’re in a good place,” he said.
‘Smooth’
Williams was a rare player to play varsity as a sophomore at Dublin Coffman, which has produced its fair share of college players, including former NFL and Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.
“His potential was unlimited,” Crabtree said of Williams. “He just was very smooth as a football player. You could see that if he, if he was going to get serious about the sport it, he had a really high ceiling.”
Crabtree recalled one play in particular. In a playoff game against Toledo Whitmer early in his career, Williams dipped around a “pretty good” offensive tackle and sacked future Bowling Green quarterback Riley Keller, knocking Keller out of the game.
“Certainly not glamorizing that (hit) just because of the nature of it, but it was really athletic, a big play,” Crabtree said. “It changed the complexion of the game in our favor.”
Putting in the work
Gophers defensive coordinator Danny Collins said part of Williams’ success comes with being at the U for a fifth year.
“I think, too, the way Devon works now compared to when he was younger is tremendous,” Collins said. “It’s a great example for the young guys that are watching Devon now … They see him continue to work on those things after practice, pre-practice. His intentionality that he’s bringing has been really special. I’m excited for him.”
Williams played with Mariano Sori-Marin before Sori-Marin became the Gophers linebackers coach this year.
“He’s helped me a lot,” Williams said. “We just have that tight relationship. He’s my coach at the end of the day, so I respect him as a coach, but I can come to him and talk to him.”
Right call
Williams had more than 10 scholarship offers but not the Buckeyes. He committed to Kentucky but flipped from the SEC program in favor of Minnesota.
“I feel like I made the right decision,” Williams said.