Lucas: Williams’ arrival bolsters talented group of pass catchers
April 21, 2023 | Football, Mike Lucas
USC transfer lands in Madison for a new era of Badger offense
BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – In a conversational exchange with media representatives, CJ Williams casually dropped a name, a prominent one. But it didn't come off like classic name-dropping. It wasn't like he was trying to impress anyone. It was just a matter-of-fact response to a question on his decision-making.
"Even though I'm here," the Southern Cal transfer said of his first spring practice with the Badgers, "a lot of people still ask me, 'Why would you come to Wisconsin of all places? You could have transferred to the South. You could have transferred to UCLA. You could have stayed at USC.'
"Actually, I was just having a conversation with C.J. because I was catching with him over the spring," said Williams who caught himself in mid-thought and went back and fully identified the quarterback that was throwing passes to him. "C.J. Stroud … I was catching with him over spring break."
Both are Californians: Williams from Mission Viejo and Stroud from Rancho Cucamonga, an hour away. Stroud has thrown for 8,123 yards, 85 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions over the last two seasons at Ohio State. A two-time Heisman finalist, he's projected to be an early first round pick.
Back to their conversation …
Williams was bouncing some things off Stroud on his choice of the Big Ten and it drew this reaction, "He was like, 'Hey, man, you made the right decision. But it's different out there. You've got to understand it's a little bit different in the Midwest. It's cold. Different type of people. Different culture."'
Still his decision piqued endless curiosity in friends and strangers alike. Why again Wisconsin?
"It's more the fit for me, less so the place," Williams said. "Wisconsin is an awesome place. Don't get me wrong. I personally think the city of Madison is very similar to where I grew up …the Orange County area … minus the weather obviously …no beach … we've got a lake (here) … but minus all that.
"At the end of the day, it's more the fit as far as the players that I'm around, the coaches, the football program and then the culture. Kind of that was my mindset coming in here. All right, I'm coming here to be a football player. If I go to the NFL, I don't really get to pick where I'm going to play at, right?
"I could be playing in Buffalo. I could be playing in Texas or California. It doesn't matter.
"I am going to go there and hopefully win some football games.
"And that was the same mindset I had coming here."
Williams is a product of Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.), a powerhouse football program with three national championships over the last six seasons. One of those titles came during Williams' senior year when he had 51 catches for 830 yards and 12 touchdowns on a 12-0 team.
"Mater Dei was a college program in high school," Williams said. "From a football standpoint, it taught me a lot. Schematically, I learned a lot about offense. Competitive-wise, my sophomore year we had seven receivers go Division-1 and that brings a whole different level of competition to the room."
As a freshman and sophomore, Williams caught passes from – here comes another name-drop – Bryce Young who was 26-2 as a starter and accounted for 9,657 yards and 111 touchdowns during those two seasons at Mater Dei. Young went on to Alabama and won the 2021 Heisman Trophy.
In most mock drafts, Young has been tabbed to be the No. 1 overall selection earmarked for the Carolina Panthers. The only question has been his height. Or lack thereof. He's 5-10. "People were always wondering if he was too small," Williams said. "But he makes up for it with his accuracy and his game.
"He's savvy. He's a dog. He's just one of those guys that when they play the game, it's different."
Williams was set to take his game – which resulted in 124 catches for 1,827 yards and 21 TDs during his four seasons of varsity competition at Mater Dei – to Notre Dame. After committing to the Irish, he had made plans to graduate from high school early so he could get to South Bend for spring ball.
However, just before Williams was scheduled for a home visit from Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, it was announced that Kelly was leaving for LSU. Williams huddled instead with Kelly's wide receiver coach, Del Alexander, a former Wisconsin assistant (2007-2011) under Bret Bielema.
"He (Alexander) told me, 'I don't know what's going to happen, I don't know who they're going to hire, I have a good feeling it's going to be Marcus Freeman,"' Williams said. "But I personally didn't want to leave my situation up to some unknowns. You've got a lot going through your mind.
"You don't know what's going to happen as far as with the head coach. You don't know what's going to happen with your position coach (Alexander who ended up at Georgia Tech). I decommitted. I was fortunate enough to take my official to USC and committed right there on the spot."
Williams pledged his allegiance to Trojans' first-year head coach Lincoln Riley and still followed through on his plan to be an early enrollee. But he pulled his hamstring last spring. "That was a little bit of me coming in with a chip on my shoulder and overworking myself," he said. "It taught me a lot."
It was an on-going education for Williams during the 2022 season. He played in only nine games and caught four passes for 34 yards. The USC wide receiver room was stacked with Jordan Addison, the 2021 Biletnikoff winner at Pitt; Tahj Washington, Mario Williams and Brenden Rice, among others.
"That was one of the best things that happened to me – that room being so stacked," Williams said. "I got to kind of watch how he (Addison) maneuvered and how he did his thing. I learned a lot about football. I learned a lot about myself. Being in that situation wasn't the worst thing in the world."
Not when your quarterback, Caleb Williams, wins the Heisman as a USC sophomore.
Yet at the end of the season, CJ Williams entered the transfer portal. "I wanted to go to a situation where I was valued as a top guy on the roster and I would compete for that number one spot," said Williams. "Lincoln Riley is a genius and I wanted to play for a guy who's very similar."
Coming out of Mater Dei, Williams had developed a friendship with quarterback Nick Evers, an Oklahoma commit, at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. When Williams heard that Evers was transferring to Wisconsin, he texted him. "Why Wisconsin?" he asked. "They don't throw the football."
According to Williams, Evers texted back, "Just wait. Just wait until you see what happens here."'
That set the wheels in motion for Williams to become a Badger. "As soon as I met coach (Phil) Longo," he said of the UW's accomplished offensive coordinator, "and as soon as we watched film and talked, it kind of clicked. And I thought, 'Yeah, this guy is very similar (to Lincoln Riley)."'
On his recruiting visit – featuring other transfer wide receiver targets in Will Pauling and Quincy Burroughs, both of whom were contemplating making the move from Cincinnati to join head coach Luke Fickell in Madison – Williams felt like he connected with Fickell in a positive, transparent way.
Williams told Fickell, "I'm taking a leap of faith if I'm committing to you right now but you're also taking a leap of faith if you're committing to me … we don't know anything about each other. All you have is what you've heard from other coaches … or whatever you've seen on film."
"That leap of faith gave me the confidence to commit here.
"Just knowing the guys that I was going to be around had a big part in it."
Williams watched film of quarterback Tanner Mordecai, the SMU transfer, with Fickell.
"It was the deciding factor for me," Williams said. "I've played with Bryce (Young), a Heisman Trophy winner and probably the No. 1 pick this year. I've played with Caleb (Williams), a Heisman Trophy winner, and probably the No. 1 pick next year…
"And I think Tanner can definitely be in the Heisman conversation just with this game plan and with his maturity. Quarterback is an attitude thing and he's a gamer … I'm coming here with a great quarterback and a great system and a team that can win football games. That's what I'm used to."
Later, he conceded, "My competitive spirit is a big part of my game and who I am."
That has been on display throughout the spring. "I've been playing football since I was 4 years old, this is all I know … football is what I hold closest to my heart," Williams said. "The fire I bring to football is just the love I have for it. I came out here with a chip on my shoulder. As a lot of people did.
"A lot of these transfers did. A lot of these guys who came back did."
One of those returnees is Chimere Dike, who had a team-high 47 catches last season. "He's a really welcoming guy, he always has a smile on his face," Williams said. "A lot of guys, when you're already set (in your own situation on the team), you're not as welcoming sometimes to transfers."
Williams pointed out how it's human nature to think, "This guy is here to take my spot." But it wasn't something that Williams felt from Dike, a senior from Waukesha North. "Chim doesn't have that mindset at all," Williams stressed. "He welcomed the competitive atmosphere."
Asked about the chemistry in the wide receiver room, Dike said, "It's great. We've got some dudes. We've got a lot of people who can make plays. The best part, and my favorite part, is the type of people we have in our room. A bunch of hardworking dudes who want to get after it and compete.
"The nice thing is we didn't have any issues with that (team unity). Tanner Mordecai is a super great leader. He's a guy who doesn't force himself (on others) … I think it just shows how tight our locker room was to begin with and the type of character guys that coach Fickell and his staff brought in.
"The culture of our program is our competitive spirit.
"In order to be a championship level team, you have to be competing within every single room."
Setting the tone for the wideouts is assistant Mike Brown, who was with Fickell at Cincinnati. "He's super detailed, super fundamental and a good man," Dike said. "When you look at a coach, you want someone who's going to look out for you and care about you as a person. He definitely does."
While Williams was deliberating over his transfer options, and there were many potential landing spots, Brown impacted his choice. "I wanted to find a coach who believes in me," he said. "And I truly believe that coach Brown believes in me and my athletic ability and my ability as a football player."
Williams did take exception with something Brown had been quoted as saying prior to spring ball. "Coach Brown said during an interview he wanted to play six wide receivers," Williams noted. "I think we can play eight guys. I think there are 10 guys who can play. Everybody does their own thing really well.
"It's a very intriguing room. It's similar to what I saw at USC last year in my opinion. You've got some transfers who can make a difference. You've got some guys who were already here and can make a difference as well. And you have a quarterback who's slinging the rock in a really creative offense."
The adjustment from the USC culture and Los Angeles to the UW culture and Madison has gone smoothly for Williams (outside of experiencing snow for the first time). "What has benefited me the most," he said, "there hasn't been a whole lot of transition. Similar offenses. Both from coach Leach."
Riley and Longo are both disciples of the late Mike Leach. "With us this year, which may be different from coach Longo last year (at North Carolina)," Williams said, "they probably didn't run the ball as much as we will with Chez (Mellusi) and Braelon (Allen) at running back.
"Being able to run the football only sets up the pass even more."
He's a quick study. You can never go wrong name-dropping a tailback or two in this program.
Â
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – In a conversational exchange with media representatives, CJ Williams casually dropped a name, a prominent one. But it didn't come off like classic name-dropping. It wasn't like he was trying to impress anyone. It was just a matter-of-fact response to a question on his decision-making.
"Even though I'm here," the Southern Cal transfer said of his first spring practice with the Badgers, "a lot of people still ask me, 'Why would you come to Wisconsin of all places? You could have transferred to the South. You could have transferred to UCLA. You could have stayed at USC.'
"Actually, I was just having a conversation with C.J. because I was catching with him over the spring," said Williams who caught himself in mid-thought and went back and fully identified the quarterback that was throwing passes to him. "C.J. Stroud … I was catching with him over spring break."
Both are Californians: Williams from Mission Viejo and Stroud from Rancho Cucamonga, an hour away. Stroud has thrown for 8,123 yards, 85 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions over the last two seasons at Ohio State. A two-time Heisman finalist, he's projected to be an early first round pick.
Back to their conversation …
Williams was bouncing some things off Stroud on his choice of the Big Ten and it drew this reaction, "He was like, 'Hey, man, you made the right decision. But it's different out there. You've got to understand it's a little bit different in the Midwest. It's cold. Different type of people. Different culture."'
Still his decision piqued endless curiosity in friends and strangers alike. Why again Wisconsin?
"It's more the fit for me, less so the place," Williams said. "Wisconsin is an awesome place. Don't get me wrong. I personally think the city of Madison is very similar to where I grew up …the Orange County area … minus the weather obviously …no beach … we've got a lake (here) … but minus all that.
"At the end of the day, it's more the fit as far as the players that I'm around, the coaches, the football program and then the culture. Kind of that was my mindset coming in here. All right, I'm coming here to be a football player. If I go to the NFL, I don't really get to pick where I'm going to play at, right?
"I could be playing in Buffalo. I could be playing in Texas or California. It doesn't matter.
"I am going to go there and hopefully win some football games.
"And that was the same mindset I had coming here."
Williams is a product of Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.), a powerhouse football program with three national championships over the last six seasons. One of those titles came during Williams' senior year when he had 51 catches for 830 yards and 12 touchdowns on a 12-0 team.
"Mater Dei was a college program in high school," Williams said. "From a football standpoint, it taught me a lot. Schematically, I learned a lot about offense. Competitive-wise, my sophomore year we had seven receivers go Division-1 and that brings a whole different level of competition to the room."
As a freshman and sophomore, Williams caught passes from – here comes another name-drop – Bryce Young who was 26-2 as a starter and accounted for 9,657 yards and 111 touchdowns during those two seasons at Mater Dei. Young went on to Alabama and won the 2021 Heisman Trophy.
In most mock drafts, Young has been tabbed to be the No. 1 overall selection earmarked for the Carolina Panthers. The only question has been his height. Or lack thereof. He's 5-10. "People were always wondering if he was too small," Williams said. "But he makes up for it with his accuracy and his game.
"He's savvy. He's a dog. He's just one of those guys that when they play the game, it's different."
Williams was set to take his game – which resulted in 124 catches for 1,827 yards and 21 TDs during his four seasons of varsity competition at Mater Dei – to Notre Dame. After committing to the Irish, he had made plans to graduate from high school early so he could get to South Bend for spring ball.
However, just before Williams was scheduled for a home visit from Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, it was announced that Kelly was leaving for LSU. Williams huddled instead with Kelly's wide receiver coach, Del Alexander, a former Wisconsin assistant (2007-2011) under Bret Bielema.
"He (Alexander) told me, 'I don't know what's going to happen, I don't know who they're going to hire, I have a good feeling it's going to be Marcus Freeman,"' Williams said. "But I personally didn't want to leave my situation up to some unknowns. You've got a lot going through your mind.
"You don't know what's going to happen as far as with the head coach. You don't know what's going to happen with your position coach (Alexander who ended up at Georgia Tech). I decommitted. I was fortunate enough to take my official to USC and committed right there on the spot."
Williams pledged his allegiance to Trojans' first-year head coach Lincoln Riley and still followed through on his plan to be an early enrollee. But he pulled his hamstring last spring. "That was a little bit of me coming in with a chip on my shoulder and overworking myself," he said. "It taught me a lot."
It was an on-going education for Williams during the 2022 season. He played in only nine games and caught four passes for 34 yards. The USC wide receiver room was stacked with Jordan Addison, the 2021 Biletnikoff winner at Pitt; Tahj Washington, Mario Williams and Brenden Rice, among others.
"That was one of the best things that happened to me – that room being so stacked," Williams said. "I got to kind of watch how he (Addison) maneuvered and how he did his thing. I learned a lot about football. I learned a lot about myself. Being in that situation wasn't the worst thing in the world."
Not when your quarterback, Caleb Williams, wins the Heisman as a USC sophomore.
Yet at the end of the season, CJ Williams entered the transfer portal. "I wanted to go to a situation where I was valued as a top guy on the roster and I would compete for that number one spot," said Williams. "Lincoln Riley is a genius and I wanted to play for a guy who's very similar."
Coming out of Mater Dei, Williams had developed a friendship with quarterback Nick Evers, an Oklahoma commit, at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. When Williams heard that Evers was transferring to Wisconsin, he texted him. "Why Wisconsin?" he asked. "They don't throw the football."
According to Williams, Evers texted back, "Just wait. Just wait until you see what happens here."'
That set the wheels in motion for Williams to become a Badger. "As soon as I met coach (Phil) Longo," he said of the UW's accomplished offensive coordinator, "and as soon as we watched film and talked, it kind of clicked. And I thought, 'Yeah, this guy is very similar (to Lincoln Riley)."'
On his recruiting visit – featuring other transfer wide receiver targets in Will Pauling and Quincy Burroughs, both of whom were contemplating making the move from Cincinnati to join head coach Luke Fickell in Madison – Williams felt like he connected with Fickell in a positive, transparent way.
Williams told Fickell, "I'm taking a leap of faith if I'm committing to you right now but you're also taking a leap of faith if you're committing to me … we don't know anything about each other. All you have is what you've heard from other coaches … or whatever you've seen on film."
"That leap of faith gave me the confidence to commit here.
"Just knowing the guys that I was going to be around had a big part in it."
Williams watched film of quarterback Tanner Mordecai, the SMU transfer, with Fickell.
"It was the deciding factor for me," Williams said. "I've played with Bryce (Young), a Heisman Trophy winner and probably the No. 1 pick this year. I've played with Caleb (Williams), a Heisman Trophy winner, and probably the No. 1 pick next year…
"And I think Tanner can definitely be in the Heisman conversation just with this game plan and with his maturity. Quarterback is an attitude thing and he's a gamer … I'm coming here with a great quarterback and a great system and a team that can win football games. That's what I'm used to."
Later, he conceded, "My competitive spirit is a big part of my game and who I am."
That has been on display throughout the spring. "I've been playing football since I was 4 years old, this is all I know … football is what I hold closest to my heart," Williams said. "The fire I bring to football is just the love I have for it. I came out here with a chip on my shoulder. As a lot of people did.
"A lot of these transfers did. A lot of these guys who came back did."
One of those returnees is Chimere Dike, who had a team-high 47 catches last season. "He's a really welcoming guy, he always has a smile on his face," Williams said. "A lot of guys, when you're already set (in your own situation on the team), you're not as welcoming sometimes to transfers."
Williams pointed out how it's human nature to think, "This guy is here to take my spot." But it wasn't something that Williams felt from Dike, a senior from Waukesha North. "Chim doesn't have that mindset at all," Williams stressed. "He welcomed the competitive atmosphere."
Asked about the chemistry in the wide receiver room, Dike said, "It's great. We've got some dudes. We've got a lot of people who can make plays. The best part, and my favorite part, is the type of people we have in our room. A bunch of hardworking dudes who want to get after it and compete.
"The nice thing is we didn't have any issues with that (team unity). Tanner Mordecai is a super great leader. He's a guy who doesn't force himself (on others) … I think it just shows how tight our locker room was to begin with and the type of character guys that coach Fickell and his staff brought in.
"The culture of our program is our competitive spirit.
"In order to be a championship level team, you have to be competing within every single room."
Setting the tone for the wideouts is assistant Mike Brown, who was with Fickell at Cincinnati. "He's super detailed, super fundamental and a good man," Dike said. "When you look at a coach, you want someone who's going to look out for you and care about you as a person. He definitely does."
While Williams was deliberating over his transfer options, and there were many potential landing spots, Brown impacted his choice. "I wanted to find a coach who believes in me," he said. "And I truly believe that coach Brown believes in me and my athletic ability and my ability as a football player."
Williams did take exception with something Brown had been quoted as saying prior to spring ball. "Coach Brown said during an interview he wanted to play six wide receivers," Williams noted. "I think we can play eight guys. I think there are 10 guys who can play. Everybody does their own thing really well.
"It's a very intriguing room. It's similar to what I saw at USC last year in my opinion. You've got some transfers who can make a difference. You've got some guys who were already here and can make a difference as well. And you have a quarterback who's slinging the rock in a really creative offense."
The adjustment from the USC culture and Los Angeles to the UW culture and Madison has gone smoothly for Williams (outside of experiencing snow for the first time). "What has benefited me the most," he said, "there hasn't been a whole lot of transition. Similar offenses. Both from coach Leach."
Riley and Longo are both disciples of the late Mike Leach. "With us this year, which may be different from coach Longo last year (at North Carolina)," Williams said, "they probably didn't run the ball as much as we will with Chez (Mellusi) and Braelon (Allen) at running back.
"Being able to run the football only sets up the pass even more."
He's a quick study. You can never go wrong name-dropping a tailback or two in this program.
Â
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