PREP FOOTBALL Fitch wide receiver still thinking 'Big' with Michigan State

When Ohio State pulled its offer, Miles Williams chose another Big Ten school.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
AUSTINTOWN -- Fitch senior Miles Williams has switched his college commitment from Ohio State to Michigan State after the Buckeyes pulled their offer due to academic concerns.
"They were saying that they would have to go to [academic] committee at the end of the year to see if I would have qualified," Williams said Friday. "But they had to go to committee first just to give me an offer.
"If it was cool back then and I have the same GPA now, what happened?"
Standards met
Williams, who has a 2.5 grade point average and scored an 18 on the ACT, meets the NCAA academic standards for a Division I athlete (2.0 GPA in 14 core courses and 17 on ACT).
"He was told by [running backs coach] Tim Spencer [on Jan. 13] that there wasn't going to be a scholarship available because of academic deficiencies," Fitch coach Neal Kopp said. "But at this point, he has the ACT score to go along with the core GPA.
"I guess their reasoning was that their standards need to be higher than the NCAA," Kopp said.
Williams said he was firm in his commitment to Ohio State and had not planned any other visits before signing day.
"At first, I was a little irritated because they told me at the 11th hour," Williams said. "But it's cool. They gotta do what they gotta do."
Williams, who verbally committed to Ohio State last April, visited Michigan State last weekend and accepted the Spartans' scholarship offer.
"I wanted to play in the Big Ten," Williams said. "And the way they pass the ball, I think I can do some good things there."
Williams, who also had offers from Pittsburgh, Bowling Green and Cincinnati, also will visit Iowa this weekend.
Keeping options open
"I wanted him to at least make another visit," Kopp said. "It was obviously devastating for him. He had his sights set on Ohio State and he was comfortable with his choice. I just didn't want him to jump on the first thing to come around because of anxiety on his part.
"Not that Michigan State isn't a fine university. He'll probably end up there," Kopp said. "But I think he should at least have another choice."
At least 30 different colleges have called Kopp since Ohio State pulled the offer, he said.
"There's been a lot of rumors going around about his academic problems," Kopp said. "The stuff that's been said is obviously untrue because four other Division I-A schools had compliance people that gave him the OK."
Williams (6-foot, 2-inches, 190 pounds) earned Division I all-Ohio honors as a defensive back this season.
He will play wide receiver in college.
"Don't get me wrong -- I have a lot of respect for [Ohio State coach] Jim Tressel and their program," Kopp said. "My only problem was maybe they could have told him sooner. Maybe then he would have had time to make his five visits like everyone else.
"But he's a great kid and things will work out," Kopp said. "One of those two schools is gonna get a good football player."
scalzo@vindy.com