Max Williams

HISTORY — From College Profile

 

2023: Williams will once again be a key contributor at safety as a redshirt senior in 2023.

 

2022: After missing the 2021 season due to injury, Williams bounced back in 2022 and played in all 14 games with 13 starts (all but California). He led the team in tackles with 79 and in forced fumbles with 2. He also tallied 2 tackles for loss, 2 INTs (third on the team), and 5 pass breakups (second on the team). He was named an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention.

 

He had 5 tackles and 1 QB hurry against Rice. He collected 7 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 INT at Stanford. He had 3 tackles against Fresno State and had 8 tackles and 1 INT at Oregon State. He recorded 4 tackles against Arizona State and had 4 tackles and 1 PBU against Washington State. He had 7 tackles at Utah and had 9 tackles, including 0.5 for loss, and 1 pass breakup at Arizona. He notched 5 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, against California. He had 3 tackles against Colorado and had 5 tackles and 3 pass breakups at UCLA. He had 2 tackles against Notre Dame. He had 12 tackles and 1 forced fumble in the Pac-12 Championship against Utah. He had 5 tackles in the Cotton Bowl against Tulane.

 

2021:  Williams was set to battle for the starting nickelback job and play a key role on special teams as a redshirt sophomore in 2021, but he tore knee ligaments in 2021 spring practice and had surgery, so he missed the 2021 season.

 

2020:  Williams saw key playing time at nickelback and on special teams as a redshirt freshman in 2020.  Overall in 2020 while appearing in all 6 games and starting 3 times (versus Arizona, Washington State and Oregon), he had 22 tackles, including 2.5 for losses of 6 yards (with 0.5 sack for minus 3 yards), and he had a deflection.  He had 1 tackle against Arizona State, 3 tackles (0.5 sack) at Arizona, 1 tackle at Utah, 7 tackles (1 for a loss) against both Washington State and UCLA and 3 tackles and a deflection against Oregon.

 

2019:  Williams, who enrolled at USC in the spring of 2019 after graduating a semester early from high school, saw action at nickelback as a first-year freshman cornerback in 2019.  Overall in 2019 while appearing in 4 games (Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon) and starting twice (Washington and Arizona), he had 6 tackles, including a 3-yard sack, plus a deflection and a forced fumble.  He missed USC’s first 2 games (Fresno State and Stanford) while recovering from a 2018 high school knee injury, then sprained his ankle against Oregon and missed USC’s last 4 games (Arizona State, California, UCLA, Iowa).  He was able to redshirt.  He was limited in 2019 spring practice while recovering from a 2018 high school knee injury.

He had 2 tackles (with a sack) and a forced fumble against Washington while making his first start, a tackle each against Arizona and Colorado and 2 tackles and a deflection against Oregon.

 

HIGH SCHOOL:  He made 2018 PrepStar Dream Team and Tacoma News Tribune Western 100 as a senior cornerback and wide receiver at Serra High in Gardena (Calif.).  He suffered torn knee ligaments in the 2018 season opener and was sidelined the rest of the year.  

As a junior in 2017, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Juniors first team, All-CIF Division 1 and South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team as he had 27 tackles, 7 deflections, 3 interceptions (2 for TDs), 2 blocked field goals, a fumble recovery (for a TD) and a forced fumble on defense, caught 16 passes for 150 yards (9.4 avg) on offense and returned 16 punts (1 for a TD) for 266 yards (16.6 avg) and 15 kickoffs for 305 yards (20.3 avg).  

As a 2016 sophomore, he made the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomores first team, All-CIF Division 1, South Bay Daily Breeze All-South Bay first team and All-Mission League first team as he had 24 tackles, 4 deflections and 2 interceptions along with 25 receptions for 278 yards (11.1 avg) with 2 TDs and a punt return for a TD. 

 

As a 2015 freshman, he made Max Preps Freshman All-American first team as he had 34 tackles, 4 deflections and 3 interceptions, plus caught a 25-yard pass.

 

He also sprinted for Serra’s track team (he led off the CIF Division 4 championship 400-meter relay team).

 

PERSONAL

 

He earned his bachelor’s degree in Real Estate Development in the spring of 2022. He is currently pursuing a certificate in Gerontology. His brother, Macen, is a redshirt junior defensive back at Arizona State.