Cal Football Notebook: NCAA Confirms Nohl Williams as Consensus A-A

Running back Jaydn Ott climbs to 10th on Cal's career rushing chart; Jack Endries has most catches by a tight end

Nohl Williams / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Cal cornerback Nohl Williams, the FBS leader with seven interceptions this season, has been named a consensus All-America select by the NCAA.

Williams is the first Cal player to earn the distinction since inside linebacker Evan Weaver in 2019. The Bears’ most recent defensive back named consensus All-America was Daymeion Hughes in 2006.

Williams talks in the video about the areas of his game he needed to improve this season in order to impress NFL scouts.

A first-team All-ACC selection Williams was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association AFCA, Football Writers  Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News and the 135th Walter Camp Football Foundation. He was a second-team pick by the Associated Press, which is generally considered the top team.

A native of Oxnard, California, and transfer two seasons ago from UNLV, Willams is among five Atlantic Coast Conference players to secure consensus honors.

Others from the ACC named consensus picks by the NCAA are quarterback Cam Ward and wide receiver Xavier Restrepo of Miami, defensive lineman Donovan Ezeiruaku of Boston College and punter Alex Mastromanno of Florida State.

Williams’ seven picks are tied for the seventh-most by a Cal player in a single season, two shy of Deltha O’Neal’s 1999 record of nine. Williams finished his college career, including his three seasons at UNLV, with 4 interceptions.

2024 CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICA

Offense

WR—*Nick Nash, San Jose St., 6-3, 195, Sr.

WR—Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, 6-5, 212, Jr.

WR—Xavier Restrepo, Miami (FL), 5-10, 198, Sr.

TE—Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green, 6-4, 230, Jr.

OL—*Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, 6-4, 320, Jr.

OL—Wyatt Milum, West Virginia, 6-6, 317, Sr.

OL—Will Campbell, LSU, 6-6, 323, Jr.

OL—Addison West, Western Mich., 6-3, 305, Sr.

C—Seth McLaughlin, Ohio St., 6-4, 305, Sr.

QB—Cam Ward, Miami (FL), 6-2, 223, Sr.

RB—*Ashton Jeanty, Boise St., 5-9, 215, Jr.

RB—Kaleb Johnson, Iowa, 6-0, 225, Jr.

PK—Kenneth Almendares, Louisiana, 6-2, 252, Sr.

Returner/All-Purpose—*Travis Hunter, Colorado, 6-1, 185, Jr.

Defense

DL—*Mason Graham, Michigan, 6-3, 320, Jr.

DL—*Abdul Carter, Penn St., 6-3, 252, Jr.

DL—Kyle Kennard, South Carolina, 6-5, 254, Sr.

DL—Walter Nolen, Ole Miss, 6-3, 305, Jr.

DL—Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College, 602, 247, Sr.

LB—*Jay Higgins, Iowa, 6-2, 232, Sr.

LB—Shaun Dolac, Buffalo, 6-1, 225, Sr.

LB—Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, 6-4, 243, Sr.

DB—*Caleb Downs, Ohio St., 6-0, 205, So.

DB—Nohl Williams, California, 6-1, 200, Sr.

DB—Xavier Watts, Notre Dame, 6-0, 203, Sr.

DB—Jahdae Barron, Texas, 5-11, 200, Sr.

P—Alex Mastromanno, Florida St., 6-1, 241, Sr.

*Indicates unanimous First Team selection

OTT CLIMBS TO NO. 10: It was all but a lost season for junior running back Jaydn Ott, hampered much of the year by an ankle injury he sustained in the season opener vs. UC Davis.

But with a season-high 84 yards in the LA Bowl on Wednesday, Ott pushed his season total to 385 yards and his career number to 2,597 yards. That vaults him past Johnny Olszewski (1950-52) into 10th on the Bears’ all-time list. Olszewski had 2,504 yards.

Ott also has 24 career rushing touchdowns, which is seventh all-time at Cal.

Ott has a year of eligibility remaining but has not yet announced whether he will follow through with his plan to enter the NFL draft or return to Cal or enter the transfer portal.

ENDRIES MAKES HIS MARK: Redshirt sophomore Jack Endries finished with a team-leading 56 catches and in the process broke Cal’s single-season “record” for receptions by a tight end. 

The previous standard was 54 by David Lewis in 1982. Endries also became the first tight end to lead the team in catches since Lewis that season. 

A former walk-on, Endries had six games with at least five catches and delivered an impressive two-game stretch against Pitt and North Carolina State in which he had 17 receptions for 220 yards and a touchdown.