Five-star rising sophomore AJ Williams chats early recruitment after winning 15u Peach Jam
By SAM LANCE
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Five-star guard/small forward AJ Williams has made a strong case for the No. 1 player in the 2028 class following his performance at Nike EYBL Peach Jam.
Williams, the 6-foot-7 wing from Hampton (GA), led his Georgia Stars squad to the 15u title. It’s the second year in a row Williams has won Peach Jam, as his Georgia Stars were crowned champions of the Jr. EYBL in 2024.
AJ Williams (@aj4williams) vs. Team Takeover:
— Mike O (@coolguy551_) July 20, 2025
28 PTS, 6 REB, 1 STL, 15/16 FTM, 55.91 TS%
AJ Williams proved to resilient force today, leveraging his crafty dribbling to consistently create separation. As a dynamic wing, his exceptional athleticism and advantage/self-creation… pic.twitter.com/LCJwEMI3yF
Across eight Peach Jam games, Williams averaged 20.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 45.7% from the floor and 14-of-41 (34.1%) from 3-point range. He had three different games with 28 points and finished No. 4 overall in scoring, No. 2 in performance index rating and No. 3 in efficiency and plus/minus for the tournament.
“I feel like I’m a very versatile player,” Williams said of his game. “I can do multiple things. I can rebound. I can shoot and pass. I can play defense.”
Williams hasn’t just been a standout on the EYBL circuit this summer. He was also a huge piece in winning gold for Team USA at the FIBA 5×5 U16 Men’s Americup. There, Williams was awarded Second Team All-Tournament honors while averaging 13.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals. The five-star attended Nike Elite 100 camp in St. Louis as well and was constantly named as a standout by EYBL coaches.
What has he learned from this busy summer?
“You have to be serious,” Williams said. “If you’re not serious about this, then you’re not going to be good. If you’re not serious about it, you might as well find something else.”
Even though Williams is one of the best prospects in high school basketball, his main sport was baseball growing up. He played pitcher, first base and left field.
“I eventually switched to basketball during COVID,” Williams said. “I feel like the only reason I switched is because of 2K and because of COVID. I feel like if I didn’t start playing 2K and COVID didn’t happen, I’d probably still be playing baseball.”
Williams comes from a basketball family with his father, Anthony, playing at Vanderbilt from 1997-2001. His mother, Crystal, was inducted into Auburn University at Montgomery’s hall of fame in 2007. The five-star also has two cousins playing college basketball in Tylis Jordan at Ole Miss and Jordan Hunter at Memphis.
On the recruitment front, Williams previously held offers from Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, Memphis, Mississippi State and Texas A&M and picked up new offers from Auburn, Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville and Vanderbilt after his masterful Peach Jam. He’s been on campus at Georgia and Georgia Tech for games.
The five-star broke down a few of the schools involved early in his recruitment:
Georgia: “I’d be a hometown hero, so I feel like that really stands out the most. I feel like if I go there, I’m a hometown hero. The campus is real nice. It’s big and it’s in a good area. So I feel like it’s somewhere I would go.”
Georgia Tech: “It’s in Atlanta and they’ve been treating me well so far. The recruiting process, I’m still so young, so I haven’t really gotten to explore all the campuses for real. But from what I’ve seen so far from a couple games I’ve been to, I like it.”
Memphis: “Penny Hardaway. I haven’t really gotten to experience what it’s like at Memphis yet, but I will in the future. I feel like Penny would make me better. Like I said earlier, staying low with the ball, I feel like that’s what he specializes in. So that’s where he’d definitely make me better at for sure, because that’s where he made his money at.”
Mississippi State: “I went to their game when they played in Atlanta last year. I feel like their coach [Chris Jans] is really high-energy, and that will help me. So I feel like it’s somewhere I could go.”
Although it’s early, Williams has some things in mind when he’s looking into programs.
“I feel like its the fit,” he said. “I don’t want to go too far from home, but if it’s the best decision, I will go far. So I feel like just the fit for me and the right area. And where I feel like the coaches need me more so, if I can go in and help instantly as a freshman.”
For his sophomore season of high school, Williams will have a change of scenery. He recently announced his transfer from Dutchtown (GA) to Eagles Landing Christian Academy in McDonough (GA).
Williams is the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2028 class, per ESPN. He said he’ll fit right in with any program at the next level.
“Whether it’s off the ball, on the ball, setting screens, I feel like I can show my versatility on the court,” Williams said. “I’m a bigger guard, so I feel like that opens up more opportunities for me to fit into systems.”
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