DJ Williams flips from Iowa State to Oklahoma State

Williams had been an Iowa State commit since June. After 1 weekend in Stillwater, he isn't anymore.

Scott Wright

@ScottWrightOK

Flip No. 3 for the Cowboy defense. Former Iowa State commit, 2027 edge DJ Williams, announces his commitment to Oklahoma State. t.co/CyDbhM9pjK

De'Marion Williams

@DJWilliams08

@coachfloyd33 @CoachWallCCHS @Whiz205 @Coach_McCal @RecruitBigClay @Rivals @On3 @BamaPrepsFB @CoachL__ @AL5AFootball1 @CowboyFB @CoachGRichDL t.co/rAzZQe7kXx

Williams is a 2027 edge from Clay-Chalkville High School in Pinson, Alabama. He committed to the Cyclones in June after an official visit to Ames, and for most of the summer and fall that looked done. Then Oklahoma State got involved late. The Cowboys only started recruiting him in September and offered him that month. Then they got him to Stillwater for his first trip there, an official visit this past weekend, and that settled it.

He made it sound like it wasn't close once he was on campus. Williams told On3 he "went up there with an open mind, and I just loved it out there," called the program "a tight-knit family," and said the staff's message was simple: "We want you. We want to develop you." Head coach Eric Morris seems to have closed it personally. Williams said Morris "doesn't only care about football" and talked about wanting to see him grow as a man. Going from a September offer to a flipped commit by late October is a fast turnaround.

Now for the "No. 3" part. Oklahoma State's first defensive flip in this run was Bryson Brown out of Baylor's class, announced Wednesday evening. On Thursday cornerback J'lynnd Kellow, from Willis High School in Texas, left Mississippi State for the Cowboys after his own official visit. He's ranked the No. 108 corner in the country and No. 117 overall player in Texas for 2027. Williams makes it 3 straight days, and 2 of those 3 were pulled out of Big 12 rivals' classes.

That's the part Iowa State and Baylor fans won't like. Taking a kid out of an SEC school's class is a nice recruiting win. Taking them from teams you play in conference is a message. Oklahoma State is using official visits to get committed players to campus and then flipping them, and so far it's worked every time.

What to watch next: the early signing period. Until a letter of intent is signed, none of these commitments are locked in, and Iowa State and Baylor can try to win their guys back the same way Oklahoma State won them. Still, Morris has 3 commitments this week that his staff took from other schools, and his defense is getting a lot better on paper.