FAYETTEVILLE — As a junior and senior at Tylertown (Miss.) High School, defensive lineman Jalen Williams combined to make 213 tackles, but he somehow flew under the recruiting radar.
“I’d have to say I was under-recruited in high school,” Williams said. “I don’t really know exactly why. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s probably because my school is really small.”
Tylertown is a Class 3A school — the state has six classifications — and according to the Mississippi High School Activities Association, in 2020 it ranked No. 144 in enrollment with 312 students.
The only NCAA Division I scholarship offers Williams could recall getting as a senior came from Colorado and Southern Mississippi.