Football
Justin Gilbert’s Success at OSU Helped Land Commitment of Rodarius Williams
Having successful players go on to earn a high selection in the NFL Draft means a lot for recruiting players and sustaining success as a program, as most coaches will tell you. Recruits love to see former players thrive at their position and make money as a pro, knowing they, too, can go on to achieve similar success.
That formula played a big part in how OSU landed the commitment of cornerback Rodarius Williams back in the spring of 2015, one of the youngsters competing for a starting spot for the Cowboys this season.
“I ran into Justin Gilbert, I think it was at the spring game. With him being a first-round pick, his outlook on Oklahoma State, he told me ‘It’s a bunch of man-to-man, so you’re going to get a lot of exposure with the ball.’ So I was like, ‘I’m the type of corner that wants to be thrown at,’ so I was like ‘I’m committing on the spot.’ He told me I was making a great decision.”
After a redshirt season in 2016, Williams, a Shreveport native, appears primed to soak up a major role in 2017. Whether it’s a starting job or in a rotation, he’s one of the more confident players in terms of his own ability to defend on the ball. And his presence in Stillwater may not have came to fruition if not for a successful career from Gilbert, who nudged him — and had the influence to do so.
“If you’re a man-to-man corner,” Williams said, “the Big 12 is the place to be.”