Ohio State Showed Sam Williams-Dixon ‘Everything I Needed To Know’

Sam Williams-Dixon committed to Ohio State on April 15. Less than two months later, however, the four-star Pickerington North running back took an official visit to Kentucky.

It was a move that caused some consternation among Buckeye fans, leaving many wondering if Williams-Dixon was having second thoughts on being a part of OSU’s 2024 recruiting class.

On Wednesday following Ohio State’s annual 7-on-7 tournament, Williams-Dixon cleared the air.

“I just took it to have fun with my friends and family,” he said. “It was free, so anybody else in my position would do the same thing.”

A few days later, he took his official visit to Ohio State.

“Oh yeah, that showed me everything I needed to know,” he said.

“It was the best experience of my life. It was so great. Everyone else that takes that visit, I hope you take that jump and get on the team.”

For 95% of all recruits, official visits are a great time. It’s a free trip with a red-carpet escort. Players are made to feel like the most important people in the world. What Williams-Dixon saw first-hand on his visit to Ohio State, however, was something a little deeper.

“Just everyone being one big, happy family,” he said. “The players that I was there with, all the recruits that were committed, and it was just like we knew each other our whole lives.”

Sam Williams-Dixon is one of three running backs committed to Ohio State in the 2024 class. He joins James Peoples and Jordan Lyle, giving running backs coach Tony Alford plenty of firepower down the road.

As for Williams-Dixon’s future role with the Buckeyes, he can see himself being used all over the field.

“I want to do the Curtis Samuel type deal, you know?” he said of the former Ohio State All-American who rushed for 771 yards in 2016, while also catching 74 passes for 864 yards.

Williams-Dixon has also been watching Ohio State receiver Xavier Johnson, who has moonlighted a time or two in the Buckeye backfield.

“I look at him as that’s me out there,” he said. “He had a big play against Georgia, I was like, ‘That could be me one day.'”

Even though Ohio State has had some successful seasons from true freshmen, it is not the norm. What is the norm is the learning curve, which is what Williams-Dixon is preparing himself to handle.

” I’m not looking to go out my first and just dominate,” he said. “I want it to be a learning year my freshman year. Just learn the offense. Learn everything Coach Alford wants me to do, I’m gonna do it.”

While he hasn’t set any major goals for himself as a true freshman next year, there is definitely something he is looking forward to taking part in — the rivalry against Michigan.

“That just brings fuel to the fire,” he said. “I just want to get here and beat that team up north. That’s what every kid in Ohio dreams to do — play as a Buckeye and beat the team up north.”

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