Ohio State football suffered through a disappointing end to its 2023 season. But falling short of expectations seems to have at least lit a fire under defensive tackle Tyleik Williams.

Williams, a second-team All-Big Ten honoree, confirmed that he will return for his senior season on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday.

In his message, Williams wrote that he wanted to “thank Ohio State for everything, the best band and the best fans in the world. Thanks for bringing me in with open arms and allowing me to put on that jersey and represent you all.”

But what seemed to be heading towards a declaration for the 2024 NFL draft took a turn when Williams said that he would “never forget the memories I created. That's because…..I AIN'T DONE MAKING THEM YET YEAR 4 LETS DO IT!”

Williams hoping to start a trend

It was no foregone conclusion that Williams would return to Columbus for his senior season. His draft prospects are strong after a solid third season with Ohio State football.

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Ryan Day, Ohio State football, Buckeyes, College Football Playoff, Michigan football

Williams is the seventh-ranked draft-eligible defensive tackle prospect, per ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr, while Matt Miller rated Williams as the number-three defensive tackle for the 2024 draft.

The defensive tackle out of Manassas, Virginia made an impact as a freshman, racking up five sacks and 6.5 tackles-for-loss. Following a down sophomore season, he rebounded with a strong campaign in 2023. Williams finished the year with three sacks and 10 tackles-for-loss.

Ryan Day and Ohio State football will be thrilled with Williams' decision. Even better would be if that convinced defensive ends JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer to return to Columbus as well, as those two flirt with whether or not to declare for the NFL draft.