Mikey Williams lands at UCF after Memphis exit

Days after announcing his departure from Memphis, former star recruit Mikey Williams announced Friday that he has committed to UCF.

Williams made the announcement on Instagram, with the caption: “All I needed was a chance.”

After signing with Memphis in its 2023 class, Williams was arrested last spring following a March 27 incident at his home, when shots were allegedly fired at a carful of people who had left the residence. He faced nine felony counts in the case, but pleaded guilty in November to a lesser felony charge of making criminal threats. The plea meant Williams could get the charge reduced to a misdemeanor if he satisfies a number of requirements before his scheduled sentencing this August.

Williams never played a game for Memphis, as he was away from the team while the legal process played out.

“We can confirm Mikey Williams has chosen to enter the transfer portal,” Memphis said in a statement Monday. “The University process for him to join the men’s basketball program was underway, but Williams elected to explore his options at this time.”

Williams, a 6-foot-2 guard with 3.6 million Instagram followers, was considered a five-star prospect early in his high school career, when he garnered national attention for his dunking exploits and YouTube mixtapes.

UCF (10-4) picked up a huge upset win over No. 3 Kansas earlier this week and will host BYU on Saturday before heading to Texas and Houston next week.