Manny Diaz added another critical piece to Miami’s Class of 2020 on Saturday, and the commitment came with a particularly touching connection.
Four-star Oakleaf High School (Orange Park, Fla.) defensive end Chantz Williams officially committed to the Hurricanes on Saturday, picking Miami ahead of scholarship offers from fellow contenders Florida, Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn and Florida State. A top-85 overall prospect in the nation, Williams is considered one of the four-best defensive end prospects and 12-best overall players in Florida by the 247Sports composite rankings.
“I picked Miami because I felt like it was my home basically,” Williams told 247Sports. “I feel like it was a place that wanted me and needed me and they showed that throughout the whole recruiting process.
“Coach Diaz has implemented a lot of new things. The only thing that’s changed really is how they want to succeed and I could sense that on my last visit. I could also tell that on the calls with them that they are doing a lot of different workouts and stuff. That really opened my eyes.”
Williams plans to enroll early in January and has both the talent and size — 6-foot-4, 238 pounds — to contribute early in Coral Gables. In his Tweet announcing his pick of the Hurricanes he also gave a birthday shoutout to his late father.
Perhaps equally importantly, landing a true national top prospect like Williams could help boost Miami’s recruiting going forward; Williams is the second-highest rated prospect in Miami’s Class of 2020, behind five-star running back Don Chaney Jr. One of Williams’ high school teammates, offensive tackle Jalen Rivers, is ranked right behind Williams in Miami’s class as well.
