Illini Not Yet Worried About Isaiah Williams’ Redshirt Status

Illinois head coach Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator Rod Smith both say they haven't thought yet about Isaiah Williams' redshirt status

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The time to wonder about Isaiah Williams’ redshirt status hasn’t arrived yet.

Illinois head coach Lovie Smith said Tuesday he won’t concern himself and his staff with the freshman signal-caller’s status until he plays one more game.

“Once you get to three (you start thinking about the redshirt),” Lovie Smith said. “Until then, Isaiah isn’t our starter so you keep those guys ready to play.”

In the same Tuesday post-practice interview session, the Illini fourth-year head coach made it clear Williams is the third quarterback on the depth chart when everybody is healthy.

“You ever been in a game where two quarterbacks go down in a game? That’s why he has to be ready,” Lovie Smith said. “We keep track of all of our freshmen and guys that are eligible for that redshirt year.”

The NCAA amended its redshirt rule in 2018 to allow players to play in up to four games per year without losing a season of eligibility, meaning Williams has to play in three more games until he becomes ineligible for this coverage.

Throughout the first six games, Illinois has only has four freshmen (TE Bryce Barnes, LB Tarique Barnes, DB Devon Witherspoon, and WR Dalevon Campbell) who have played more than four games and therefore make them ineligible for a redshirt status.

Williams has been on the field in two games this season (two plays vs. Nebraska, eight plays vs. Michigan) and he has yet to complete a pass. Williams had two runs that went for a total of minus-3 yards and was 0 for 4 passing along with four rushing yards last weekend against Michigan.

Williams was a four-star prospect from Trinity Catholic in St. Louis in the 2019 recruiting class and was Illinois’ highest-ranked quarterback signee since Juice Williams in 2006. The 5-foot-10 quarterback was the 2018 and 2019 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year along with an Under Armour All-American selection.

It don’t happen like a guy flips a switch and he’s like he was in high school,” Illinois offensive coordinator Rod Smith said Monday. “There’s an adjustment period. Isaiah knows that. At the same time, there’s enough talent there that he can make a difference in a football game and that’s why you got to make sure you get him ready and you get him reps so when it’s time to call on him, he’s ready to go.”

When asked how he plans to handle the final six games of Williams’ freshman season, Rod Smith seemed open to possibly playing the young quarterback in three more games while also acknowledging he’s currently unprepared to accept the responsibility of full offensive implementation.

“I’m thinking about winning a game, that’s the first thing,” Rod Smith said Monday.

“If he can help us win a game, he’ll play and he’s been told that. And he understands that and wants that. As we move forward, where we’re at, how well we play at the quarterback position and how much do we need him in order to win will probably determine whether we play him more than four games or not. But the ultimate goal, like I told him, is to win and if that means we have to play him in (the remaining) six to win and that gets us where we want, then he’ll play.” - Illinois offensive coordinator Rod Smith

However, Williams’ first season at Illinois has also been marred by injuries. Following practice inside Memorial Stadium, Lovie Smith confirmed Williams and Brandon Peters (concussion) weren’t present at the end of the session. Williams didn’t make the trip with the team to Minnesota two weeks ago and Smith said he suffered another undisclosed injury during the 42-25 loss to Michigan last weekend.

“I think the injury part is the most frustrating part for him,” Rod Smith said. “I think he understands there’s an adjustment period. I think (media) put them up on a pedestal, all of these guys before they ever take a snap in college football and it’s really not fair to these guys. You’re playing a whole different level of competition than they had in high school. At the quarterback position, it takes time.”