Mikey Williams, an elite and popular recruit in the 2023 class, committed to Memphis on Saturday night.
Williams, a four-star guard ranked 30th in his class by ESPN, posted a picture of himself wearing a Memphis jersey with the caption “committed” on Instagram.
Just hours before the start of the 2022-23 college basketball season, Penny Hardaway gained a commitment that will strengthen his next recruiting class. Williams is Hardaway’s first top-100 commitment per ESPN’s rankings.
Williams, a 6-foot-2 guard, is also one of the most popular players in his class.
He has 3.7 million followers on Instagram and 2.1 million followers on TikTok. An hour after his announcement, his Instagram post about his commitment to Memphis had more than 240,000 likes.
That brand power has allowed the talented prep player — he transferred to San Ysidro High School in San Diego for his senior season — to capitalize on NIL opportunities. Last year, he signed a footwear and apparel deal with Puma.
Williams made noise two years ago when his list of his final 10 schools featured five historically Black college and universities. In September this year, he said he wanted to visit Jackson State due to the buzz Deion Sanders had generated as the head coach of the football team. And his father told reporters last year that an HBCU was still a realistic possibility for Williams, who ultimately chose to play in the American Athletic Conference with the Tigers.