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ATHENS - If there’s a “breakout” candidate to know at the linebacker spot, Justin Williams might be the guy.
Everyone knows about returning starter Raylen Wilson. The senior will enter the 2026 season with 136 career tackles, 14 TFLs and five sacks.
Then there’s All-American candidate Chris Cole who has a chance to make a Butkus Award run this fall. The playmaking junior is one of the best players across Georgia’s roster and could be one of the top linebackers in college football this season.
But don’t forget about Justin Williams.
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The former five-star prospect from Texas has seen the field plenty during his first two seasons, playing in 26 career games with 38 total tackles. He’s made an impact on special teams and as a reserve at linebacker, but insiders say he should have a much larger role in year three this fall.
He’s already won over Kirby Smart and that may be the toughest job of all.
“He was an extremely high character kid from the first time we met him,” Smart said about Williams this week. “I remember he came to town and he was just all in on the Junior Day. He was at every competition we had. He was in the punt line. He was smiling, laughing, meeting other recruits. He’s a ball of energy and that's carried over into his play. He plays really hard. Plays with a lot of passion and energy.”
“He leads that way,” Smart added. “There's not something that we do as a team that he's not right at the front of the line. He and Chris Cole kind of have the same personality in terms of they find joy in whatever they're doing. I appreciate that from Justin. He got a lot of opportunities to play last year. He's going to get more opportunities to play and he needs to play well, tackle well, and he plays fast and he plays physical. But his biggest thing has been maintaining his weight, being able to keep his weight on him.”
Right now Williams is listed at 6-foot-2 and 225-pounds. He’s got a muscular build, but it’s important he continues adding good weight and muscle if he wants to consistently stop SEC running backs.
Still, he was a five-star prospect for a reason. He’s mentally tough, has a strong work ethic, and the ultimate teammate according to sources around the program.
When Georgia’s at their best they’ve got three or four linebackers playing at a high level. They have two dependable starters already, but if Williams continues to develop and keep on weight, he’s going to see the field consistently this fall.
It’s “go time” now for Justin Williams. He needs to emerge in a big way and that’s exactly what coach Smart is looking for.
