2019 IL RB Recaps Notre Dame Trip

It was a new experience for Ant Williams and one the 2019 Illinois running back appreciated.

Williams spent the day in South Bend on Saturday for the Notre Dame-Georgia showdown and the festivities beforehand.

“It was outstanding,” the 6-foot, 185-pounder from Chicago told Irish Sports Daily. “I had a real good time. I’ve never really tailgated and did the whole day at Notre Dame or at any school like that on a game day. It was amazing.”

Prior to the game, Williams and the other visitors got a chance to tour campus and the facilities.

“We got to go in the locker room,” the Bolingbrook standout said. “We toured the school. They fed us real good. We went and saw the walkthrough as the team came through. Then we got to walk on the field when they were coming on to practice. I had a real good time.”

Williams was impressed with the atmosphere inside Notre Dame Stadium.

“The fans are true fans,” he said. “They’re in it.”

He called the Irish’s 20-19 loss to the Bulldogs “a pretty good game.”

“I’m real critical of games because I study football,” he said. “They dropped a lot of passes and it was like they couldn’t run the ball. The coaches over there have a pretty good team, they just have to get some W’s. That was a tough loss. They had a freshman up there, ball security was an issue at the end.”

Williams has early offers Cincinnati, Central Michigan and Northern Illinois among others and is hoping to make a big impact when he gets to college.

“Not to sound cocky or anything, but I think my set of skills would probably help any school,” he said. “I can run out of the backfield, catch out of the backfield, block out of the backfield. Whatever they need me to do, I’ll be ready to do.”

He had a chance to speak with Irish running backs coach Autry Denson prior to the game.

“He said he’d be in touch with me and to keep in touch with him,” Williams said of Denson.

Williams will be at Ohio State next weekend and Purdue after that, but will keep the Irish in mind.

“I am going to keep an eye on them,” he said. “I wasn’t paying that much attention to Notre Dame until a couple months ago, but it is a school on my list. I like Michigan State, Michigan and Minnesota and Notre Dame, of course.

“I could see myself playing at Notre Dame.”