Adonis Williamson Hears Overtures from Coaches, Tech Commits Alike

At a certain point, a coach can only say so much to convince a recruit.

While college coaches may have their recruiting pitches down to perfection, selling a winning tradition, excellent facilities and stellar academics with all manner of grand gestures, sometimes the best recruiters are other high schoolers.

Virginia Tech is hot on the trail of cornerback Adonis Williamson of Indianapolis' Arsenal Technical High School with wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray delivering their best overtures for the Hokies.

But the biggest voice in Williamson's ear might just be that of current Tech commit Eric Whitehead.

"There were always a bunch of us as early as middle school saying we wanted to play together, go to college together," Williamson said. "Maybe even go to the next level together. And that's been a huge influence on me."

Whitehead and Williamson started out as teammates in high school, spending their first three years with Titans, and even though Whitehead has since transferred across town to Lawrence Central High School, the two are still very close.

"We've probably known each other for the better part of four years," Whitehead said. "He tells me every day about all the schools he's talking to."

Whitehead — a 3-star defensive tackle according to 247Sports — made his college decision fairly early in the recruiting cycle, committing to Tech on May 3.

Williamson, on the other hand, has named Tech as one of the top three schools he's considering with Missouri and Northern Illinois. The 3-star cornerback has certainly developed a very favorable opinion of the Hokies, however.

"They just hit me up constantly, telling me they have plans for me," Williamson said. "They're telling me they'll help me get where I need to be, I'll have a chance to prove myself and start if I do."

Tech's coaching staff told Williamson they'd like to see him at cornerback initially, but there are other options on the table.

"We've mainly talked about corner, but they said that if they need me at safety, they'd move me around, and that's fine with me," Williamson said.

While Whitehead was a big factor in his affinity for Tech, Williamson notes that the school's tradition of grooming defensive backs was another major factor in the Hokies' favor.

"The tradition definitely played into it," Williamson said. "Along with the coaches, that's a big part of why I want to go there."

Williamson wasn't willing to proclaim a leader quite yet, but Whitehead is already looking into the crystal ball for his friend.

"I think he loves Virginia Tech, he feels like he's shown him the most love," Whitehead said. "I definitely think they're his leader."

If his prediction proves correct, it seems like the Hokies will earn the services of a relentless athlete.

"Adonis is one of the hardest workers I know," Whitehead said. "He's so talented, he can do anything he puts his mind to."

As to his abilities, Williamson summed his playing style simply.

"I love to be up in your face and just hit," Williamson said.

Williamson hasn't gotten a chance to visit Blacksburg yet, although he does plan to visit soon. If he decides to make the long trek down, he might see a familiar face.

"I'm definitely going to take another visit there at the end of this month," Whitehead said.

If he can convince Williamson to join him, he might just have done the coaches' job for them.