Michigan State football target Bryson Williams makes an official visit

Three-star athlete Bryson Williams visited Michigan State during the final weekend of official visits before the summer dead period. Williams is a talented receiver who has caught the attention of Spartan receivers coach Courtney Hawkins.

Williams is a great athlete, a star on the track. I first spoke to him at the MHSAA Division II track and field finals. His athleticism and skill with the ball make Michigan State running backs coach Keith Bhonapha eager to use Williams as a running back.

The balance will be, as Williams describes it, a role similar to Deebo Samuel’s with the San Fransisco 49ers.

But if the Spartans want to make this goal a reality, they need to secure Williams. His official visit was a big step in that process. When we first spoke, Williams told me he was excited to come visit and get to know everything on a deeper level. His visit went well, he told me.

Williams was presented by the star recruit of the class of 2024, wide receiver Nick Marsh. He got to hang out with quarterback Aidan Chiles. He spent time with Hawkins and Bhonapha. Most importantly, Williams saw what he needed to see: the culture.

“What struck me was how family-oriented it was,” Williams told me. “There were a lot of families, especially a lot of bonding. I saw the quarterback hanging out with the (defensive backs), the team is all cohesive, it’s a very close, tight bond. There’s a separation between, ‘Oh, you’re a starting quarterback, you’re a third-string lineman,’ they’re all just football players trying to win, win a championship. So that’s one of the big things I saw this weekend.

There was a “major” difference between this official visit and the unofficial visit Williams had made to East Lansing.

“Now I’ve actually seen what they do, how they can use me, so I feel like that was pretty big because I didn’t really know,” Williams said.

Williams’ Orchard Lake St. Mary’s teammates, DJ White and Jayden Savory, have already committed to Spartan for 2025. They both had a hand in Williams’ recruitment, he told me.

‘They’re always trying to get me. “Come home, come home, come home.” So they’re really trying to recruit me a lot, they’re probably my toughest recruiters. Probably bigger than the coaches,” Williams said.

Williams told me a decision will come on July 2. Whether or not “home” is in East Lansing is anyone’s guess.

Michael France is Sports Illustrated’s recruiting beat writer at Michigan State and covers all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.

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