A loss for Baylor will turn into a gain for the Florida State football program.
Earlier this offseason, Deonte Williams signaled his intention to leave Waco by entering the NCAA transfer database. Monday, Williams indicated on Twitter that he received a scholarship offer from FSU. Two days later, on the same social media service, the defensive end announced that he has committed to the Florida State football team.
So after talking with my family, I’ve decided to commit to Florida State University. #yerr #Gonoles 🍢
— D.Williams (@DWill__2) April 8, 2020
Williams has a familial connection to Florida State as his father, Alphonso, played his college football for the Seminoles. His father played with Odell Haggins, the longtime FSU assistant who was retained by new head coach Mike Norvell.
During the 2018 season, Williams suffered a significant fracture in his arm. Williams sat out the 2019 season after "[m]e and my dad decided to take the medical DQ to have time to think about my future moving forward,” he told 247Sports.com. A few months later, he entered the portal.
A three-star 2016 signee, Williams was rated as the No. 37 outside linebacker in the country. The Plano, Tex., product took a redshirt as a true freshman. He started four of the nine games in which he played in 2017, then played in the first seven games the following season before the arm injury in a game against Texas.
Nov. 3, Florida State announced that Willie Taggart was out as the program’s head football coach. A month later, Norvell was hired away from Memphis as Taggart’s replacement.
Including Williams, Norvell has added five Power Five transfers since he arrived at FSU, which is coming off back-to-back sub-.500 seasons for the first time since 1975-76.
