In a race that came down to the wire, Tennessee held off Auburn to gain the commitment of four-star running back Justin Williams Wednesday morning. The East Paulding standout made the call during a Signing Day celebration in the school’s auditorium, surrounded by family and friends.

Williams becomes the second running back in the class for Tennessee, joining Dylan Sampson. The Dallas, Ga. native is tabbed as the 154th-ranked prospect, per Rivals, and the 11th running back in the class. Williams is viewed as the No. 15 player in Georgia and owns a Rivals Rating of 5.9.

A one-time West Virginia commit, Williams has been a frequent visitor to Knoxville this fall and wrapped up the official visit period on Rocky Top this past weekend. The running back stands in at 6-foot-0, 206 pounds and will look to add depth to a backfield that’s already lost Tiyon Evans to transfer.

Here’s a detailed look at what a Justin Williams commitment means for Tennessee.

“I’ve had a tremendous amount of luck when it comes to big-time running backs. I’ve got two former running backs in Jerick McKinnon and Trey Sermon. Justin is every bit as talented as those guys. He’s an amazing guy. He’s extremely powerful and has great balance. He has great burst and can catch the ball out of the backfield.

What really separates him from so many great players out there is the fact that he’s such a good human being. You’re going to hear Justin say, ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir.’ He’s going to say ‘I love you.’ He doesn’t big-time his teammates or people in the hallways. It’s so easy for a high-profile athlete to get a little too big for their britches. In four years of high school, I’ve never seen him do that. To me, that’s extra unique.

Finally, something that I think is really cool. He’s in the top-2 or 3 of his senior class. He has a 4.0. So, he is just the total package. He is a good player but he is a great human being. It’s so refreshing to see a great player who is humble and has a warrior’s mentality, but one who also loves people and who is super respectful.

Tennessee is getting a special kind of guy.”

--- Billy Shackelford, East Paulding High School head football coach

"The four-star running back from Dallas (Ga.) East Paulding is muscled up and is a tough runner who can break shoestring tackles, gain extra yards and pound the ball forward. What makes Williams special and why he is a four-star is because he also has good speed, he can make people miss and being utilized out of the backfield is something he's looking forward to in Knoxville. Auburn put up a great fight and having Cadillac Williams on staff was important, but Tennessee's coaching staff showed so much love and attention that Williams could not turn down the Vols."

– Adam Gorney, National Recruiting Director for Rivals

There’s a lot to like when evaluating Williams. The running back is explosive through the line of scrimmage and takes on contact well. He does a great job of keeping his feet moving and not going down on first contact. Tennessee’s new back displays good vision and picks up on cutback lanes quickly.

One of the more impressive traits Williams puts on display is his ability to change directions in a hurry. At times, he’ll bounce off contact and go right down the line, avoiding defenders before getting back up field. His patience is noteworthy as he allows the play to develop in front of him. Williams is also a capable pass-catcher out of the backfield.

The four-star is a good looking tailback and one who could find a lot of green grass in Josh Heupel’s offense that presents a ton of vertical running lanes.

It gives Tennessee a second back in this class at a position that needed bodies in 2021. With Jabari Small and Tiyon Evans banged up a good bit in season, the Vols relied heavily on Jaylen Wright and Len’Neth Whitehead at times. In fact, every Tennessee running back that saw regular time dealt with an injury of some sorts this season.

Needless to say, Tennessee needs some capable bodies in the backfield to assist Jabari Small in the running game. It’s even more apparent now with Evans out of the program.

Williams joins Sampson as running backs in the class and is now the Vols’ fifth four-star in the class. He’s the third-highest rated player in the class, behind Tayven Jackson and Addison Nichols, and racked up over 30 offers during the recruiting process. The strength & conditioning program will be of importance for Williams as he’ll need to adjust to the physicality of what the SEC presents.