Penn State football has landed another big player in the class of 2024. The most recent commitment is defensive end Mylachi Williams. This was more under-the-radar recruitment from over the weekend, but still an important one. While the edge rusher still has another year of high school left, this is another big addition to the class of 2024. Penn State now has received commitments from five out of Pennsylvania’s top ten 2024 recruits, keeping them more than competitive in the Big Ten. Here is a look at Williams and what he will bring to the Penn State Nittany Lions defense.
Mylachi Williams High School
Williams is a 6-3 edge rusher from Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. He attends Monsignor Bonner, high school, and as the class of 2024, he still has one more year to go. He is yet another four-star recruit for the Penn State Nittany Lions from the class of 2024. In 2022, Williams finished the season with 50 tackles and 11 sacks, according to 247Sports. He still has another year of playing for his high school before he will officially be a Nittany Lion. 247Sports also lists him as the number 25 Edge in the 2024 class.
Penn State Football commit Mylachi Williams (8) – Williams family/On3
Even as an edge rusher, Williams has caught an interception. It is his speed that has drawn the attention of the power-5 schools. Williams is a Pennsylvania native, which gave Penn State the upper hand when recruiting him. Based on his scouting report, Williams would fit in well with the Nittany Lions’ defense.
Williams officially visited Penn State at the beginning of June. Since that visit, he also went to Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Pitt throughout the month of June. Some of the other offers that Wiliams received were from Tennessee, Georgia, Michigan, Colorado, and more. Just from the schools listed, it says a lot that Williams chose to stay in his home state to play for Penn State football.
Potential Impact on Penn State Football
The Penn State defense has had a strong past few seasons. Especially under the newer defensive coordinator, Manny Diaz, this is a tough team to face. Diaz being there for one year has already made a difference, and Williams would fit in well with the way that the team plays. Aside from being a physical player, the defensive end is also known for his speed. There is no reason to be surprised if while playing on the edge, Penn State moves him to linebacker. This is not something that is unheard of with Penn State football, and the university is known to have a strong linebacker core.
In the 2022 season, Penn State ended the season with 43 sacks, according to ESPN. The player with the most sacks on the team was Abdul Carter, a linebacker. If Williams were to switch positions, which is not yet officially known, it would most likely work out well for him. He would be able to produce numerous sacks and potentially start as a true freshman, just as Carter did in 2022.
Penn State LB Abdul Carter (11) – Matthew OHaren/USA TODAY Sports
The class of 2024 that Penn State football has been putting together is rather underappreciated. Williams is simply the most recent addition to the list of four-star recruits the Nittany Lions have gotten. Aside from Williams, the 2024 class on the defensive side of the ball consists of cornerback Jon Mitchell, safety Dejaun Lane, safety Vaboue Toure, and linebacker Anthony Speca. These are not the only defensive players who have committed to join Penn State football, but they are all four-star recruits.
The edge rusher still has another year of high school, but as it was announced over the weekend, it has been fairly underappreciated. This is a big pickup by the Nittany Lions. It should be expected that Penn State will be a much tougher team to face for years to come.
