Arlington Lamar LB Braylon Williams: Texas's Top Inside Backer Commits to SMU

The linebacker position has quietly become one of the most critical on the high school level as spread offenses and high-powered passing attacks force defenses to find athletes who can do everything — stop the run, rush the passer, and drop into coverage. Arlington Lamar has that player in Braylon Williams.

Rated the number one inside linebacker in the state of Texas by Dave Campbell's Football Magazine, Williams backed up that ranking with a dominant season for the Vikings. He finished with 101 tackles, 13 of which came behind the line of scrimmage, adding five sacks, an interception, and a recovered fumble. For a defense trying to keep pace in a competitive DFW landscape, that kind of production from the middle of the field is a difference-maker.

At 220 pounds, Williams plays with the physicality of a classic downhill run-stopper while also showing the athleticism to hold up in pass coverage and execute blitz packages — a combination that makes him a true three-down linebacker at the high school level. His closing speed and instincts for the football allow him to patrol the middle of the field and consistently find the ball carrier.

Williams recently committed to SMU, where the Mustangs figure to get a college-ready defender who can contribute early. Before he gets to Dallas's University Park campus, though, he has unfinished business with Lamar. The Vikings are counting on him to anchor their defense as they chase a playoff spot in what figures to be another competitive season in the DFW area.