Freshman Izayia Williams impressed Mike Norvell with his speed, maturity and work ethic as he begins carving out a role at Florida State.
Izayia Williams’ Florida State career officially consists of seven defensive snaps.
That sample size is nowhere near enough to make sweeping conclusions about what the true freshman linebacker will become. But what Williams has done away from those seven snaps might explain why Mike Norvell already sounds increasingly confident that more opportunities are coming.
Williams made his collegiate debut in Florida State’s 34-17 victory over New Mexico State, getting his first taste of game action after missing some time during fall camp.
For Norvell, simply getting Williams onto the field was an important step.
“Oh, absolutely,” Norvell said during his weekly press conference. “He got in a little bit and it was great that he got his kind of first game experience.”
Williams finished with seven snaps, including three as a pass rusher, three in coverage and one against the run. He earned a 69.3 overall defensive grade, according to Pro Football Focus, with a 68.9 pass-rush grade and 61.2 coverage grade.
There weren’t any tackles, sacks or pressures attached to the debut. But for a freshman playing his first college football game, the significance was more about getting started than filling up a stat sheet.
And Williams’ athletic profile makes his development particularly intriguing.
The former Tavares High School standout arrived at Florida State as one of the more athletic linebacker prospects in the 2026 recruiting class. The 6-foot-2, 226-pound Williams was rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports, which ranked him No. 137 nationally in its Composite rankings.
His scouting report emphasized elite speed and explosiveness, sideline-to-sideline range and the potential to develop into a three-down linebacker capable of playing in multiple schemes. He was even compared to Philadelphia Eagles' linebacker Smael Mondon Jr.
That athleticism is already apparent to Norvell.
“He’s a very talented young man,” Norvell said. “He’s got great speed, but he’s still learning a lot of things and he’s willing to put in the work to grow in that confidence.”
That last part may be more important than Williams’ speed.
Norvell’s praise centered less on Williams’ physical gifts and more on how the freshman is approaching his development. Williams, according to Norvell, has become a constant presence around linebackers coach Johnathan Sims and veteran Chris Jones.
“He’s a sponge,” Norvell said. “If you don’t see him with Coach Sims, he’s probably going to be with Chris Jones.”
For a player as young as Williams, those relationships matter. Florida State doesn’t necessarily need him to become a major contributor immediately. It needs him to absorb the defense, develop his technique and gradually turn an impressive athletic profile into dependable production.
Norvell believes Williams is embracing that process.
“There’s plenty of guys who’ll sit around and talk about what they want to be one day and what they want to look like,” Norvell said. “Then there’s guys that just show up and go to work trying to achieve that. He is definitely one of those guys.”
Seven snaps represented only the beginning.
Williams still has plenty to learn, and his role will have to be earned as Florida State moves deeper into its schedule. But his combination of speed, maturity and willingness to learn gives the Seminoles something worth developing.
“I absolutely expect to see more and more,” Norvell said, “as he continues in his process.”
For Williams, that process has officially begun.
