Three-star DL Makhi Williams-Lee announces his decommitment from Dave Doeren's NC State

Three-star defensive lineman prospect Makhi Williams-Lee announced his decommitment from NC State's 2025 class on Tuesday. The standout from Lakeside High School in Atlanta, Georgia, joined the Wolfpack on July 4, picking coach Dave Doeren's program over Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

Williams-Lee now becomes the third prospect to decommit from the Wolfpack's 2025 cycle, joining cornerback Robert Jones and defensive lineman Mykah Newton. The 6-foot-1, 290-pound prospect announced his decommitment decision on X, writing:

"I’ve De-Committed from Nc Sate ‼️‼️ @RecruitGeorgia @On3Recruits @247recruiting @ayeCoachG @BigFaceSportss @deucerecruiting @TheUCReport @MacCorleone74 @RivalsBmoss @Coach2Bless @ChadSimmons_ @JeremyO_Johnson @mobounce2dounce."

When Williams-Lee committed to NC State, he heavily believed in the Wolfpack's potential under defensive line coach Charley Wiles.

“A dawg’s gotta be a dawg,” Williams-Lee told On3. “If you’re good, you’re good. It is what it is. I’m here to play football, and I feel comfortable with Coach Wiles being my coach. He sees something in me that maybe I didn’t see but that I know I’ve got in me.”

With Makhi Williams-Lee's decommitment, NC State holds 16 commitments in its 2025 class, which ranks No. 50 in the nation. The program now has commitments from two defensive linemen: Colby Cronk and Omarian Abraham.

The Wolfpack also remain in the mix for promising defensive linemen like Elijah Griffin, Isaiah Campbell, Antonio Coleman, Trajen Odom and Jarquez Carter.

Will Clemson earn the commitment of Makhi Williams-Lee?

Clemson lost the commitment of defensive tackle Isaiah Campbell last Saturday, and Makhi Williams-Lee can fill up the void. Williams-Lee is fresh off his decommitment and didn’t hint at any favorite team.

However, just after his decommitment announcement, Clemson defensive line coach Nick Eason offered him for the Tigers 2025 class. The prospect has attended several of the Tigers' camps over the past two years.

In an interview with Sports Talk Media Talk, Williams-Lee revealed that Clemson was full at the defensive tackle position, so no offer was extended during those visits. However, recent changes and his standout performances have rekindled interest from the Tigers' coaching staff.

"I’d say things picked up again in the last two weeks with Coach Eason," Williams-Lee said. "He likes my playstyle, being able to get off the ball and being explosive.”

Through the first five games of this season, Makhi Williams-Lee has put up laudable stats, including 40 total tackles (31 solo, 10 for loss), one pass defended and five sacks. He will be a big addition to Clemson if the momentum continues in the Tigers' favor.

Other programs in contention to sign Williams-Lee include Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Georgia State. On3 gives the Sooners a 31.2% chance of recruiting the talented defensive lineman, while the Raiders have a 26.7% probability.