Ohio State d-line coach boldly compares Tyleik Williams movement skills to future Hall of Famer

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Allen Park — When Tyleik Williams committed to Ohio State during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was 270 pounds. By the time the defender arrived at the school, his weight had ballooned. He was tipping the scales closer to 360 pounds.

The school's defensive line coach, Larry Johnson, was unaware Williams had lost control of his weight. They'd been in regular contact via Zoom meetings, but there's only so much you can tell seeing a man on your computer screen from his chest up. It wasn't until Williams stepped on campus that Johnson grasped the situation.

"We were all like, 'Oh my God. What happened here?,'" Johnson explained on a conference call Friday afternoon, one day after the Detroit Lions selected Williams in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Despite being significantly heavier, Williams quickly proved himself to still be uniquely talented. Asked to run a 40-yard dash, he clocked in around 4.9 seconds with a 10-yard split under 1.7. That was enough to convince Johnson that everything would be all right.

“We said, 'Ok, we're good. We're good.' That's special, right?,” Johnson said. “He's been very quick. He's got some running back skills with a big body.”

Working with the program's dietitian, Williams shed the weight nearly as quickly as he had gained it, dropping down to 317 by the end of his first year. And those movement skills, paired with rare football IQ, helped Williams develop into one of the finest prospects Johnson has ever coached during his lengthy career at Penn State and Ohio State.

Johnson went as far as to compare Williams' athleticism to that of one of the greatest defensive linemen ever to play the game.

"I'm a big fan of Aaron Donald," Johnson said. "The ability to move his body so quickly. Aaron's probably not as heavy as Tyleik, but just the movement skill set, the ability to move and change direction, I think Tyleik does it really well."

Obviously, comparing a prospect embarking on his professional career to a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer is a lot. Johnson recognized that, but simultaneously doubled down on the point.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he's Aaron Donald, but you know, his movement skills, how he can be able to change directions — Aaron Donald is really good at going, you know, what we call, 'Jab-Ole' inside-outside," Johnson said. "He's got (that), and then he can go power. I think Tyleik has the same kind of movement because he can go power, he can go finesse up the field if you give him the opportunity.

"Aaron Donald was in a league by himself, you know I mean?" Johnson said. "I don't want to put that pressure on Tyleik going into the league as Aaron Donald, but there is some things that he does that Aaron Donald does real easy, and Tyleik has that same kind of movement skills."

Of all the players Johnson has coached, he noted what sets Williams apart is the quickness of his first step, plus his ability to bend and turn a corner at his size. Additionally, Johnson praised the player's intelligence, echoing comments made by Detroit general manager Brad Holmes after selecting Williams 28th overall Thursday night.

"I think the thing that separates Tyleik from anybody else is his football IQ," Johnson said. "He's really brilliant picking up things, picking up technique, picking up signals from the line of scrimmage. I think that's his advantage. He's really smart and he studies videotape. It makes him really separate himself from most guys I've coached.

"…You can tell he's a student of the game," Johnson said. "He's very coachable. You give it to him one time, he's got it. I think that's what makes him different. He really is. He has a chance to advance his skill set because he knew how to play hard. I think that's important for young players to understand, when you can play hard and grasp technique at the same time, you can really advance your skill set very fast. That's what Tyleik did. That's why he's in his position today."