Mikey Williams, who is considered one of the best players in the class of 2023, is scheduled to begin an official visit to Kansas on Monday, according to multiple reports.
A 6-foot-2, 185-pound combo guard from San Diego, Williams is ranked No. 11 in his class by 247Sports and No. 20 by Rivals.com, but he is perhaps best known for his presence on social media.
He has more than 5 million followers, including 3.7 million on Instagram, and according to On3 he could earn as much as $39,000 per post. He became the first high school basketball player to reach a footwear and apparel deal when he signed with Puma in October.
As a result, it had long been expected that Williams would bypass college and consider playing for pathway programs G League Ignite or Overtime Elite, or even professionally overseas, before heading to the NBA.
But Williams’ father, Mahlon, told 247Sports at the Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas earlier this month that Williams is “all in on college.”
“I think for Mikey, the goal has always been the same and that is to take it to the highest level that he personally can take it to,” Mahlon Williams said. “Whether that’s being a great player in college, then that’s where it’s at. Whether it’s being a great pro, then that’s where it’s at. But he gives all of his heart to (basketball) and that’s what a lot of people don’t understand — his sacrifice and how hard he works.”
It remains unclear which schools Williams, who turned 17 on Sunday, is considering aside from Kansas, though nearly every top program has offered him a scholarship. He took an unofficial visit to USC in February and has said he could see himself playing at an HBCU.
Williams spent the last two seasons playing at Vertical Academy, a North Carolina-based prep school and training program founded by his father. He intends to transfer back to San Ysidro High in San Diego, where he played as a freshman, for his senior year.
Kansas, which offered Williams a scholarship in April 2020, has not yet received a commitment from a player in the class of 2023.
