Reporter-News Photo by Ronald W. Erdrich Chris Williams of Abilene, Defensive Player of the Year.

Chris Williams is a hot commodity.

With a resume that includes last season's Associated Press Class 5A defensive player of the year honors, a spot on this year's 5A Super Team in Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine, and a ranking as one of the top prospects in the state on just about any recruiting list you can find, the Abilene High senior has received scholarship offers from about 20 college programs.

With so much to choose from, Williams is in no rush to commit to anyone. He hasn't even visited any of the schools he's considering.

"I haven't made up my mind where I want to go or where I think I want to go," he said. "It's wide open."

Still, speculation on recruiting blogs and Internet message boards links Williams to some of the biggest names on the college football landscape -- LSU, Ohio State and Oklahoma just to name a few.

For now, it's only speculation -- and plenty of it will be proved wrong whenever Williams picks a college to attend.

For his part, Williams says he isn't paying any attention to the gossip.

"It doesn't really bother me," he said. "I'm not going to think about it too much. I'll think about it when it comes, but right now we've got a state championship to win.

"It will probably be during one of the (January) all-star games that I make my announcement where I'm going to go. Whenever I feel it."

Abilene High head coach Steve Warren said the recruiting process has gone quite smoothly considering the amount of interest Williams has drawn.

"It really hasn't been (a problem) because he's handled it really well," said Warren, who is also dealing with the process as a parent with his son, AHS quarterback Stephen Warren. "I've tried to give him advice where I can and back out and stay out of it because it's such an important decision for him. We sit down and talk about it every so often and see where he's at and what he's thinking. He'll ask me some questions from time to time.

"It's really important to him and he's waited awhile. A lot of people put pressure on him to commit early and he just didn't want to do that because he hasn't been able to get on some of those campuses. I don't blame him. It's such an important decision and it's something that he needs to feel good about."

With the Eagles hosting Copperas Cove on Friday for their lone intersquad scrimmage before the season opener Aug. 29, Warren said Williams hasn't let recruiting interfere with preseason work.

"I know he's fully aware of the fact that his focus now has to be on our football team," Warren said. "His official visits will come when they come and we'll get those set up for him. Right now, he's all about us and being as good as he can be to help our team."

The start of the season could offer Williams a respite from the contact he has had from college programs.

But it won't completely end until national signing day in February.

"I have been getting pretty tired of it," Williams said. "It's been going on for quite awhile. I haven't picked up the phone in quite awhile. I try not to think about it."