Hawkeyes offer 2025 DL Jaylen Williams
Class of 2025 defensive lineman Jaylen Williams added a new scholarship offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes this weekend. For the 6-foot-6, 280-pound Illinois native, the opportunity came during a game day visit to Kinnick Stadium that left him thoroughly impressed despite Iowa's 27-14 loss to Michigan on Saturday.
"Iowa was probably one of the best trips I have been to," said Williams. "The atmosphere there is crazy. The fan base they have has got to be the best that I have ever seen and Iowa has one of the nicest facilities I have ever seen. The weight room is crazy huge and just so nice."
The trip gave Williams a chance to catch up with the Iowa coaching staff, including defensive line coach Kelvin Bell, who had made quite an impression on the four-star prospect during the recruiting process.
"The coaches there are amazing. I love every coach there," Williams said. "Coach Bell is one of the coolest coaches and most straight up that I have ever met. He’s one of those guys that’s not going to sugarcoat anything. He’s going to give it to you real and I love that about him. He’s a really good guy."
While it is not his first major offer, the opportunity from the Hawkeyes meant a lot to Williams, whose former high school teammate Jacob Bostick is a freshman wide receiver at Iowa.
"When i got the offer, I was so happy because this is an offer I have been wanting to have because of the love I have for Iowa," said Williams. "I almost started to shed a tear when I got it, but it was just a great experience and a great trip."
One month into his sophomore year at Palatine High School, Williams currently holds scholarship offers from Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Central Michigan, Kent State, and Western Michigan. At the moment, he has one more college visit scheduled this fall.
"I'm more focused on my team going forward in the playoffs right now, but I will be at Notre Dame on October 15th," Williams said.
