From All-American Bowl to PFF’s Highest-Graded True Freshman, Ole Miss DT William Echoles Continues to Turn Heads
OXFORD, Miss. — When one is watching the talent among the nation’s best high school players, it’s not always easy to know who will be able to take their skills and translate them to the next level. But that wasn’t the case with William Echoles as it was always clear the Mississippi native would be a playmaker in college.
And he has lived up to his billing. This past December, the 6-foot-3, 315-pound Echoles made his commitment official to Ole Miss — and he’s already making his presence known for the Rebels.
William Echoles is officially an Ole Miss Rebel!
The 4-star DL from Houston, Miss. sent in his letter at 9:31 a.m. Welcome home, @echoles_william! #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/gLmHeXmYmY
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) December 20, 2023
A look back
I had the opportunity to see Echoles in San Antonio, Texas as he was chosen for the annual All-American Bowl — and the kid from Houston, Mississippi more than gave the elite Texas talent a run for their money, showing all what he was made of.
Coming from the SIP ❗️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ William Echoles (@echoles_william) has accepted his invitation to the 2024 All-American Bowl#HottyToddy#AllAmericanBowl 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Ftb3yhR2wm
— All-American Bowl (@AABonNBC) December 19, 2023
Only 100 football players receive the honor of wearing the All-American Bowl jersey each year.
And despite his sudden rise in the recruiting world, he still remained humble, hardworking and kind. All eyes were on him at the Alamodome because his talent and work ethic were uncommon for an athlete of his age — and he performed on both sides of the ball, a real rarity these days.
Prior to his arrival in Oxford, Echoles was named Mr. 4 A by the Mississippi High School Activities Association. He closed his senior campaign at Houston playing both ways on the line of scrimmage. He totaled 73 tackles, 15 sacks and 3 fumbles recovered during the 9-game regular season. He also helped the rushing attack that averaged 250 yards per game on the ground.
Preseason All-American
As we fast forward, Echoles continued his All-American legacy, being named to the On3 True Freshman All America team, as well as the 247 Pre Season Freshman All American team.
Following his graduation from Houston County High School, Echoles put in the work at Ole Miss after arriving during the summer. He turned heads in fall camp and has earned playing time already for Randall Joyner’s defensive line.
Echoles is already showing his potential to become a dominant defensive tackle in one of the Ole Miss’ most-talked-about assets, its defensive front. He has played in both the win over Furman and Middle Tennessee. Against the Paladins, Echoles tallied 4 total tackles, three of which were solo, along with .5 tackles for loss.
Highest-Graded True Freshman
It hasn’t taken long for Echoles to get noticed for his play for the Rebels. He’s been in on 40 snaps thus far in his young career, and he’s made the most of them, earning accolades as PFF’s Highest-Graded True Freshman.
Best in the ‘Sip, stay in the ‘Sip #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/PbunCpZvfN
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 11, 2024
We caught up with Echoles following the PFF announcement to get his thoughts on what it means to be named to the list.
“It feels good, but still this is only the beginning. I’ve still got work to do.”
William Echoles
Echoles continues to bring a humbleness to every task he takes on as he works to be the best player and best teammate on and off the field.
Stay tuned as we follow Echoles and the Rebels!
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Lee Ann is the Director of Recruiting for The Rebel Walk. She is a veteran SEC sports journalist and NFL content writer. She is also the Sr. Editor for MESPORTS digital. Herring-Olvedo is a Brown University graduate who loves good cigars, good games, and a smooth glass of bourbon — not necessarily in that order.
