Florida State freshman Amaree Williams has experienced a whirlwind start to his college career. After reclassifying from the class of 2025 to 2024, he completed a year’s worth of coursework in just four months to make the transition possible.
Despite the intense schedule of constant workouts followed by hours of study, Williams believes it was worth the effort to be on campus. “Doing a year’s worth of work over four months is hard work,” he said with a relieved laugh. “Even with that time off and not being here I feel like I didn’t lose anything or take a step back. I was still working.”
Williams plans to play both tight end and defensive edge for the Seminoles, a role he discussed with FSU head coach Mike Norvell, who values his athleticism and dual-position potential. Although Williams expects to make an impact at tight end sooner than on defense, he remains confident in his ability to contribute to both positions. “I can definitely produce at the tight-end position. At EDGE I’d have to be at 240-250. Coach Norvell knows I’m an athlete and I can produce on both sides of the field,” he explained. “He just wants me to adjust as soon as possible.”
A four-star recruit from the Benjamin School in West Palm Beach, the alma mater of Jordan Travis, Williams was among the top players in the nation in the class of 2025 and maintained his ranking after reclassifying to 2024. Known for his athleticism, he also competed in track during high school.
Williams enjoys the competition in both the tight end room and the defensive line group, and the challenge of facing different sets of players in practice keeps him accountable. “That’s the biggest thing with me, I love to be challenged,” he said. “Being held accountable, that’s the best thing for you… that’ll make you a good character and a great player.”
Although his focus had to be on academics to expedite his enrollment, Williams now faces a similar challenge in mastering both the offensive and defensive playbooks for the Seminoles. He believes his speed sets him apart from other tight ends and defensive edges, and he looks forward to contributing consistently on both sides of the ball.
Most schools were open to Williams playing both positions, a credit to his speed and high school performance. “I genuinely feel I’m faster than the generic tight end, twitchier than the generic tight end,” he said. “Coming out of high school I was pretty much playing wide receiver, so I’m able to play tight end effectively. At the edge position, I’m twitchy and fast and able to get around blockers.”
Florida State Seminoles 2024 Football Schedule
– Aug. 24 vs. Georgia Tech *Dublin, Ireland at 7:30 p.m., ESPN
– Sept. 2 vs. Boston College at 7:30 p.m., ESPN
– Sept. 14 vs. Memphis
– Sept. 21 vs. California
– Sept. 28 at SMU
– Oct. 5 vs. Clemson
– Oct. 18 at Duke
– Oct. 26 at (U) Miami
– Nov. 2 vs. North Carolina
– Nov. 9 at Notre Dame
– Nov. 23 vs. Charleston Southern
– Nov. 30: Florida
– Dec. 7: ACC Championship