Isaiah Williams

UPDATES

Week 6: As he has for most of 2023, Williams operated mostly from the slot (32 of 33 passing plays) against Nebraska in the Illini's 20-7 road loss. The receiver was targeted 10 times, hauling in eight catches for 57 yards. Again, despite a productive day between the 20s, Williams did not reach the end zone. — JH

Week 5: In Illinois' big loss to Purdue, 44-19, Williams followed his impressive Week 4 outing with a six-catch, 113-yard (18.8 YPC) outing. He was targeted eight times in the game, lining up almost exclusively from the slot (40 of 44 passing plays). He had a long of 49 yards, and had one drop. Despite his otherwise very productive games over the past two weeks, Williams has yet to get into the end zone in 2023. — JH

Week 4: Williams had his most impressive day receiving of the season as the Illini topped Florida Atlantic. The wideout had eight catches on 12 targets for 120 yards, with 56 yards coming after the catch. For the fourth game, Williams didn't reach the end zone, but six of his catches resulted in first downs. — JH

Week 3: The Illini wide receiver caught another five balls against Penn State in the 30-13 loss to the Nittany Lions. Williams dropped one pass and, as in Week 2, was the targeted receiver on an Altmyer-thrown INT. — JH

Week 2: Working again mostly from the slot, Williams was productive for Illinois in its 34-23 loss to Kansas. The wide receiver caught six passes for 99 yards (16.5 ypc) and five of his receptions resulted in first downs. He did drop a pass and was the intended receiver on one of two picks thrown by Illinois QB Luke Altmyer. — JH

Week 1: In Illinois' 30-28 win over Toledo, Williams was targeted eight times and hauled in five passes for 51 yards. He operated mostly from the slot in the Illini passing game. — JH

Week 0: DNP

HISTORY — from college profile

2023 (jr): Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten first team…No. 22 ranked player in the Big Ten in 247's preseason player rankings

2022 (soph): Team captain…All-Big Ten honorable mention (coaches and media)...Academic All-Big Ten…Illinois’ Howard Griffith Impact Player Award winner…Started all 13 games at wide receiver…82 receptions for 715 yards and five touchdowns on the season…Led Illinois in receptions (82), receiving yards (715), and receiving touchdowns (5)...Three or more receptions in all 13 games and at least one catch in all 25 games over the last two seasons…16 punt returns for 120 yards on the season…25th in the nation and led the Big Ten in yards per punt return (7.5)...Ranked in the top 10 in the Big Ten in receptions per game (2nd, 6.3), receiving yards (7th, 715), receiving touchdowns (10th, 5), and receiving yards per game (10th, 55)...Second in the nation in yards after catch (683), according to PFF…15th in the nation and second in the Big Ten in receptions per game (6.3)...Seventh in the Big Ten in first down receptions (35)...Second on the team in all-purpose yards (840…Career highs in receptions (10) and receiving yards (120) in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Mississippi State 1/2/23…Career-high two touchdown receptions against Michigan State 11/5/22…Career-long 63-yard reception against Chattanooga 9/22/22…Career-long 24-yard punt returns against Virginia 9/10/22 and at Nebraska 10/29/22…Nine receptions for 112 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season at Indiana 9/2/22…PFF National Team of the Week following the Indiana game after leading the nation in forced missed tackles (9), according to PFF

2021 (redshirt fr): Academic All-Big Ten…47 receptions for 525 yards and four receiving touchdowns…Also ran for 61 yards and two touchdowns on the season…Led Illinois in receptions (47) and receiving yards (525)...Third in the nation among Power-5 freshmen in receptions (47), behind only Texas’ Xavier Worthy (62) and Georgia’s Brock Bowers (56…Tied for the team lead with five touchdowns (4 receiving, 1 rushing…Tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (4…13th in the Big Ten in receptions (47)...14th in the Big Ten in receptions per game (3.9)...20th in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game (43.8)...Career highs in receptions (8) and receiving yards (101) against UTSA 9/4/21…Illinois team offensive MVP against Nebraska 8/28/21…Switched to wide receiver for the final two spring practices in 2021

2020 (redshirt fr): Played in five games and started four at quarterback…26-for-63 passing for 393 yards, four touchdowns on the season…63 carries for 389 yards and one touchdown on the season…Finished the season with the 389 rushing yards, the ninth most in a season by a quarterback in school history…Finished the season No. 10 in career rushing yards by a QB with 405 rushing yards…Set the Illinois single-game rushing record by a quarterback with 192 yards in his first career start at Rutgers 11/14/20…Rushed for 102 yards on 15 carries against Penn State 12/19/20 

2019 (fr): Played in four games and redshirted the season…3-of-10 passing for 38 yards, nine carries for 16 yards, and three receptions for nine yards on the season…Played wide receiver for the first time during the Redbox Bowl and had three receptions for nine yards…Made Illinois debut against Nebraska 9/21/19 on two designed quarterback run plays 

High school: Attended Trinity Catholic (St. Louis, MO)…4-star recruit by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN…Ranked No. 47 recruit in the nation by Rivals, No. 93 by ESPN and No. 295 by 247Sports…Ranked No. 5 athlete in the nation by 247Sports, No. 8 by ESPN and No. 16 by Rivals…Ranked No. 1 recruit in Missouri by Rivals and ESPN and No. 5 by 247Sports…No. 9 ranked recruit in Illinois’ last 17 years according to 247Sports…Illinois’ highest ranked quarterback recruit since Juice Williams in 2006…Ranked as high as No. 25 overall recruit in the nation in February 2018 according to 247Sports Composite…Played for head coach Cory Patterson through his junior year when Patterson left Trinity Catholic to become the tight ends coach at Illinois…Played for head coach Terrence Curry at Trinity Catholic as a senior…2019 Under Armour All-American selection…2018 Elite 11 Finals invitation…2018 and 2019 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year…2018 USA TODAY Missouri Offensive Player of the Year…2018 USA TODAY All-USA Missouri first team…2018 Missouri Football Coaches Association Class 3 All-State first team…2,470 passing yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior…1,132 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior…1,898 passing yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior…Threw for 175 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 23 yards in the 2018 Missouri Class 4 state title game to help Trinity Catholic beat Cardinal Ritter…Also played basketball and ran track at Trinity Catholic…Verbally committed to Illinois in March 2018…Offers included Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, South Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCF, Virginia, and Wisconsin

PERSONAL

Born Jan. 29, 2001…Son of Ashley Harris and Wendell Williams…One brother, Wendell Williams Jr., and two sisters, Zariyah Martin and Keira Williams…Nicknamed “1”...Has worn No. 1 since he started playing sports…Picked Illinois because it is a, “prestigious university and family oriented.”...Plans to open a training facility following his playing career…Majoring in recreation, sport, and tourism…Academic All-Big Ten (2021-22).

2022

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
0.7	0.0	5.0	7.0	13.0

receiving
REC	YPR	TD	LONG	YDS
81.0	8.8	5.0	63.0	709.0

fumbles
REC	LOST	FUM
0.0	3.0	4.0

defensive
TFL	QB HUR	TOT	TD	PD	SACKS	SOLO
0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0

puntReturns
AVG	NO	TD	LONG	YDS
7.5	16.0	0.0	24.0	120.0

2021

passing
ATT	YPA	PCT	YDS	INT	TD	COMPLETIONS
1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
5.1	2.0	61.0	12.0	21.0

receiving
REC	YPR	TD	LONG	YDS
47.0	11.2	4.0	52.0	525.0

2020

passing
ATT	YPA	PCT	YDS	INT	TD	COMPLETIONS
63.0	6.2	0.413	393.0	2.0	4.0	26.0

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
6.2	1.0	389.0	63.0	64.0

fumbles
REC	LOST	FUM
0.0	2.0	3.0

2019

passing
ATT	YPA	PCT	YDS	INT	TD	COMPLETIONS
10.0	3.8	0.3	38.0	1.0	0.0	3.0

rushing
YPC	TD	YDS	CAR	LONG
1.8	0.0	16.0	9.0	5.0

receiving
REC	YPR	TD	LONG	YDS
3.0	3.0	0.0	4.0	9.0

fumbles
REC	LOST	FUM
0.0	1.0	1.0