Wisconsin never stopped recruiting 4-star safety Mekhi Williams — now he's a Badger

Wisconsin never stopped recruiting Mekhi Williams. And their effort paid off.

Now the Badgers have one of the biggest recruiting wins of Luke Fickell‘s tenure.

Just days after backing off his longtime commitment to Florida State, Williams announced his commitment to Wisconsin following an official visit to Madison this past weekend.

The four-star safety from Ruskin (Fla.) Lennard ranks No. 180 in the Rivals Industry Ranking and gives the Badgers a major addition in the secondary.

Wisconsin had been building toward this moment for months.

The 6-foot-2, 167-pound defensive back visited Madison earlier this spring and immediately felt a connection with the program. The official visit only strengthened those feelings.

“My first time visiting Wisconsin, it felt like home,” Williams told Rivals. “It felt like I could get developed there. The relationship part was most definitely there with me, the coaches and the players.”

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Williams had been committed to Florida State, but Wisconsin continued pushing.

The Badgers made him a priority throughout the process, and assistants Robert Steeples and Paul Haynes played major roles in helping flip the recruitment.

“Wisconsin has been recruiting me since I was a kid,” Williams said. “It’s always been love with them, especially Coach Steeples and Coach Haynes. We’ve been building that relationship throughout the process.”

The official visit ultimately sealed the deal.

“It was most definitely after Sunday when I made my mind up” Williams said. “I got to meet the commits there. I got to build relationships with them, the players and the parents. It was real love and genuine love. Nothing felt fake.”

Williams pointed to the people around the program as the biggest reason for choosing Wisconsin.

“The thing that stood out most was the people around me,” he said. “I got to build relationships with the players and coaches even more. It’s not just about football with them. It’s also about academics and beyond football, and that’s a big part for me.”

Fickell’s vision for the program also resonated with Williams and his family.

“Coach Fickell is a great guy,” Williams said. “He’s not just about football. He’s big on academics, and that’s what me and my family love. We want to talk academics because it’s beyond football and I want to get my degree.”

Leaving Florida State and heading nearly 1,200 miles north wasn’t an easy decision.

“It was hard,” Williams said. “Me and my family sat down and talked about it for a couple hours. But we’re making the best decision for me and my future.”

The decision also ends his recruitment.

Williams said he plans to shut everything down and focus on Wisconsin moving forward.

“I am not taking visits anymore,” he said. “My official visit to Wisconsin was my last official visit.”