Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst inherited a commitment from premier 2016 running back Antonio Williams when he arrived on campus in mid-December. Just two months later, it appears the 4-star North Carolina playmaker is wavering in his pledge to the Badgers.
"It's up in the air," he told Ryan Bartow of 247Sports.
Chryst hasn't managed to recruit many of "his guys" to Madison yet. In part, those efforts haven't been extraordinarily necessary—unlike with other head coaches who took over new teams late in the 2015 cycle.
He retained 15 commitments from the Gary Andersen regime earlier this month on national signing day. Only 25 percent (five athletes) of Wisconsin's incoming class came on board after his arrival, the lowest percentage of any freshly hired FBS head coach.
It seemed Chryst would stay in solid shape with Williams, considering running backs coach Thomas Brown initially remained on staff following a program shakeup.
However, Brown bolted for the same job at Georgia earlier this week. He rushed for 2,646 career yards as a Bulldogs running back from 2004-2007.
Though his NFL career was limited, Brown's rise in the collegiate coaching ranks has been steady.
He helped mentor Badgers star Melvin Gordon, who led the nation with 2,587 rushing yards in 2014 and earned an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Sophomore Corey Clement added 949 yards and nine scores last season, and could be next in line to rise toward stardom.
"I talked to Coach Brown after he left and he explained how he wanted to get his sons near his family back home and by their cousins," Williams said. "He said he will be recruiting me for Georgia now."
That last statement is particularly compelling, considering the coveted running back recruit lives much closer to Athens than Madison. He already holds an offer from the Bulldogs and will now view the coaching staff with a new level of comfort.
Despite allegiances to Brown, Williams would be playing a risky game if he elects to determine his collegiate fate with a position coach as his top priority.
"I tell the recruits all the time about making sure you choose a school for the school," Brown told Jesse Temple of Fox Sports Wisconsin on signing day. "Not just for the coaching staff. We get fired, we get re-hired somewhere else all the time. You want to make sure you're comfortable no matter who comes or goes."
Auburn is another SEC team that could become a factor if Williams reconsiders his recruitment. The Tigers were one of five finalists—along with Wisconsin, North Carolina, Duke and Notre Dame—when he announced a decision Dec. 4.
Head coach Gus Malzahn already holds a pledge from top-rated 2016 wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers and is still searching for a viable option at running back in this cycle.
It isn't a position of great need at this point, but injuries and underwhelming college careers command depth at running back on every successful college roster.
Williams has gained 5,849 yards on the ground as a three-year starter at North Stanly High School, per MaxPreps, accounting for 63 total touchdowns during that span.
He is rated seventh nationally among players at the position in 247Sports' composite rankings.
If he opts to bail on the Badgers—and judging by Bartow's report that "he hasn't heard from anyone on Wisconsin's staff since Brown's departure," that outcome may be most likely—opportunities elsewhere will be plentiful for the 5'11", 210-pound prospect.
Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.
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