Williams is Ready to Help

The decision is finally in for Tulsa Booker T. Washington Rivals100 cornerback Gentry Williams. A final four of Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, and USC was announced by Williams on October 5 and since then Williams has largely gone underground and stayed quiet. But on Monday he was finally ready to make his announcement to the world.

And just moments he ago he picked the Sooners over his other three primary suitors.

"I think the final decision with me deciding to stay home and choosing to play for Oklahoma. A lot of deciding factors, being close to my family and letting them be able to see me play. Coach (Alex) Grinch, coach (Lincoln) Riley, and coach (Roy) Manning they are all great guys," Williams said.

"The first person I committed to was coach Manning, as we grew that relationship, I told him that I just want a chance to compete, nothing more, nothing less. He told me he is happy I said that and is just ready to roll."

While many thought the Sooners would be a tough task for him to overcome according to the nation's No. 8 cornerback his list had long been a two-school race. Though there was some movement in who those schools were.

"I would say for a solid bit of my recruitment it’s been toward three schools, and then toward the end it was really two schools," he admitted. "Early on it started to become USC and Oklahoma but at the end it came down to Florida and Oklahoma."

A big part of that development stemmed from the chance to take some trips over the summer, some chances that opened his eyes to new possibilities.

"I think toward the summer, just weighing all of your options. That was the first opportunity where I visited other schools outside the state. You get to weigh your options and you do like some schools that are far away from home. I think I made the right decision but I did start to peek away from Oklahoma," he said. "

So what is it that Oklahoma is getting in a prospect they've spent three years pursuing?

"I don’t want to say too much but I want people to know that I’m going to work hard, I know the defense isn’t perfect but it’s going to make strides. I can say that because I do believe that – I believe in what Grinch is doing. I can help in that way but it’s going to take a lot of hard work and I’m willing to believe that," he said. "It’s a new chapter but there's a lot of work to do, I’m going to keep saying that – just work, just work, just work.

"I think when you are taking the visits you try not to get tied up in the limelight – all the coaches love you and all of that. But toward the end of the summer I really started to realize that even though I took all these trips it was time to focus on my season and the task I have at hand. That was the time I knew I needed to settle down and focus on myself and our season."

So far that focus has paid off with Booker T. currently owning a 6-1 record as they head into the final third of the regular season. Even though he made his decision in a public setting Williams let the coaches of each staff know of his plans. And though he'd like to be done with the process Williams knows that some schools just won't allow for that.

"As a respect factor I did reach out to the staffs and let them know what was going on. These are their jobs, just being honest, they all respected my decision and some are going to still recruit me and we’ll go on from there," Williams recalled.

"I think I’m definitely grateful for it all, I can’t pick out a specific point, yeah I can actually. I would say the official visits was definitely the highlight. That’s the best thing I can say, just grateful."

And though his family was always open to Williams doing whatever he felt was best for him, there's no denying there is some enthusiasm for his decision for the Sooners.

"They are happy for me, I have a family support system that is happy for me. If that’s staying close to home they’ll be there to support me and we’re all just really ready," he said.

For now though Williams is focused on finishing his senior season and preparing himself for the future ahead in Norman. A future he began to see during his official visit a month ago to the day.

"I really started to know I wanted to go to Oklahoma after my visit, taking it all in and knowing I have all the coaches but I’ve seen everything and have a great opportunity in whatever I do," he said.

"It's just a mixture, you kind of have to buy stock in yourself – double down and bet on yourself. This is an opportunity to bet on myself, I think I can help and I want to go ahead and do it."