It was a sad scene Friday night, watching as Izayia Williams walked around the football field in street clothes and his jersey as his teammates warmed up to face South Lake.
Williams, the embattled star linebacker at Tavares who has committed to FSU, is out for his entire senior season. He tore his ACL during the spring game. Initially it was not thought to be serious. He had hopes of playing this season. The knee, however, did not cooperate with the hopeful recovery process and he decided to have surgery Aug. 11.
“At the end of the summer, right before school started. … it was completely torn by then,” said Williams, the No. 3-ranked player in the Sentinel’s 2026 Central Florida Super60. “It was real hard at first because I didn’t even know if I was gonna come back [at all], but after talking to the doctors and they told me I could come back better than I was. … so yeah.
“The worst part is missing practices and being with the guys. It’s hard not being able to be out there with your friends.”
Tavares linebacker Izayia Williams, who is committed to FSU, had 125 tackles and 15 tackles for loss last season. He is sitting out this season with a torn ACL. (Chris Hays/Orlando Sentinel)
The irony of it all was the he had the surgery at UF’s Shands Hospital, on the campus of a school he was formerly committed to, and the rival school of his current commitment. FSU is his sixth college pledge since first committing to Louisville in October of 2023. He announced intentions to sign with the Seminoles twice.
With his back-and-forth decision-making, Williams has been a target for the wild fans of college football. Many are not nice.
“I don’t even pay attention to any of that,” Williams said.
But there was plenty that Williams heard, whether if be from the social media world, or from people in his own circle. He said he listened to too many voices and it started to interfere with his decision-making process.
“Recruiting messed me up only because I was listening to what other people say,” Williams said. “For younger people who start getting recruited I would just say don’t listen to everybody. Talk to your family or your coaches at your school. They have the best interest for you.”
He says he can ignore the social media hounds now, but that wasn’t always the case.
“I didn’t shield it at first and that’s why I’m where I’m at now,” Williams said, of having committed to so many different schools. “I should have known, but I don’t let it get to me any more. And I shouldn’t have worried about what a school has to offer me. Like money is money, but it’s about where I feel most comfortable.
“Like I can’t [see myself] going from here to like, Oregon, and only coming home every now and then. Like do I want to be that far away just because you gave me more money? That’s why I’m going to Florida State. That’s where I am most comfortable.”
Tavares linebacker Izayia Williams says he is sitting back and learning this season since he can’t play after having surgery last month for a torn ACL. (Chris Hays/Orlando Sentinel)
He’s one of the most athletic football players in the entire state. He can play running back as well as anyone in Central Florida, but he’s a linebacker. He’s big at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds. He’s fast and runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash.
Last season he had 125 tackles, 15 for loss, 4 sacks and an interception. As a part-time running back he ran for 423 yards and 6 touchdowns on 23 carries, a ridiculous 18.4 yards-per-carry average. He also caught 5 passes for 97 yards and 4 more scores.
Williams has used all of his experiences to mature and grow. Since he can’t play, he’s taking advantage of the time to look at life and what it has offered him as one of the top prospects in the nation. The 247Sports composite rankings have him as the No. 3 linebacker in the country and the No. 62 player, overall.
“When you get hurt, you start looking at all of the things you didn’t do,” Williams said. “Like I shouldn’t have been doing this or that. Now I know I have to do better. Like just watching football, in general, is helping me getting a better understanding of it.”
He said he plans to stick with his FSU commitment.
“I’ve been a Florida State fan all my life since I was young. My mom’s got it tattooed on her body and all that,” Williams said. “I was committed there before, but the coaches changed and so I decommitted.
“I’ve been a fan all my life, but I didn’t want that to be the reason why I committed there. When I went there to visit, they showed me how they are and they have always been there for me, all throughout my surgery and before.”
Williams was referring to former FSU linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Randy Shannon getting fired after last season. FSU hired Tony White away from Nebraska and he is the new defensive coordinator, and John Papuchis started coaching the linebackers.
“They have always kept good communication with me, even after I decommitted from them,” Williams said.
Week 2 Varsity Football Rewind: Lake Mary tops Osceola; Jones, Edgewater win big
The recruiting path has been a long, strange road for Williams, but now that he sees it coming to an end, he can finally relax.
“It’s hard at first, when coaches are always calling you every day and telling you this and that to get you to commit there,” Williams said. “So when that slows down, it all becomes better, mentally. It really stresses you out, thinking about where you should go.”
He said recruiting is completed for him. He is shutting it down.
“I’m no going to any other games this fall. I’m only going to Florida State. My visits are over,” Williams said.
We’ll find out for sure Dec. 3, this year’s early National Signing Day.
Chris Hays can be found on X.com @OS_ChrisHays.
