Louisville Football: 4-star CB Aaron Williams will be a special player

Four-star cornerback commit Aaron Williams has been committed for a couple of months and Louisville football fans should be pumped.

The 126th ranked player in the class of 2023 via 247Sports’ composite rankings, Aaron Williams, is a blue-chip commit for Louisville football. Williams chose the Cardinals over a slew of traditional powerhouse programs such as Georgia, USC, Alabama, Oklahoma, and LSU.

Slated to take an official visit on June 17, the Corona Centennial High School product is fresh off a selection to the prestigious 2023 All-American Game in San Antonio.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and185 pounds, Williams possesses elite length to make an immediate impact at the cornerback position. He is a fluid athlete with smooth hips, an elite burst, and the ability to change directions with ferocity.

Based on the tape from his junior season, Williams is a game-changer on the field. Not only is he a top-level corner, but he has special teams value as well. The opening play on his film is a punt return in which he makes multiple defenders miss for an electric touchdown.

In zone coverage, he displays the ability to track the ball in the air with 50/50 balls. He excels in utilizing eye discipline to appropriately play route concepts (called “pattern matching”). Williams is comfortable “bailing out” orplaying in a “half turn” (the defender’s back is to the sideline with vision on the wide receivers and quarterback) and uses his speed to aggressively execute the defensive scheme.

In man coverage, Williams shows the traits of being a capable press corner. He is patient at the line of scrimmage, catering to his length by smothering opponents and playing over the top to eliminate vertical throws. He is well-trained and has the appropriate body movements to shadow an opponent’s best wide receiver regardless of size or skill set.

In the run game, Williams shows competitiveness when tackling and throws his body around with reckless abandon. When he is coming downhill to tackle a ball carrier, there is no hesitation to utilize his pads with the correct leverage resulting in violent collisions.

With the early signing period still months away, there will be a heap of programs trying to convince him to flip his commitment. Cardinals fans should be excited about the potential of Williams coming on board for the 2023 season. If he continues to progress throughout his senior football season, Louisville will be getting a player that will immediately provide depth in the secondary with the possibility of playing as a true freshman.