Indiana Wide Receiver E.J. Williams Jr. Working His Way Back From Injury

E.J. Williams Jr., a 6-foot-4 wide receiver who began his career at Clemson and was Indiana’s fourth-leading receiver in 2023, is recovering from a hamstring injury.

Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. (7) catches a pass in front of Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Derrick Rogers Jr. (13) at Ross-Ade Stadium. / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The wide receiving corps is not at full strength as Indiana prepares for its first season under coach Curt Cignetti.

Wide receiver E.J. Williams Jr. has been a limited practice participant since Indiana began fall camp on Wednesday due to a hamstring injury. He has gone through warmups but has not participated in all aspects of the team's practices.

“Still waiting to get him on the field,” Cignetti said after Monday’s practice. “He’s practiced three times [in the spring] since I’ve been here. Pulled a little hammy the last week of summer conditioning. So hope to get him back, keep him on the field.”

Williams, a 6-foot-4, 203-pound wide receiver, is approaching his second season at Indiana. He joined former head coach Tom Allen’s Hoosiers before the 2023 season as a transfer from Clemson, where he spent three seasons. 

Williams has dealt with injuries throughout his college career. He had knee and thumb ailments at Clemson, and he played in just eight games with three starts at Indiana in 2023 due to a hand injury. Williams sat out parts of spring practice and did not play in the Hoosiers’ 2024 spring game.

“Gotta get him on the field and keep him on the field. That’s the biggest thing,” Cignetti said July 25 at Big Ten Media Days. “The best ability is availability. You gotta stay on the field, and that’s been his biggest nemesis. I think he practiced three times in spring, but I sure liked those three practices. Now, let’s keep him on the field so we can utilize him.”

When healthy, Williams has shown flashes of potential with both Clemson and Indiana. As a true freshman in 2020, he made a one-handed catch that helped the Tigers defeat Notre Dame in the ACC Championship game. Williams hauled in four receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown in that game, which was followed by a five-catch, 45-yard performance in a College Football Playoff loss to Ohio State. He committed to Clemson as a four-star recruit, ranked No. 69 in the nation and No. 13 among wide receivers.

THIS CATCH!!! #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/yO3spoQOcK

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 19, 2020

Williams finished his freshman season with 24 receptions for 306 yards and two touchdowns across four starts and 12 total appearances. Those ended up being career-high numbers in a single season for Williams, who totaled just 16 receptions for 136 yards and zero touchdowns in 21 games during the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Williams hoped to revitalize his career going into the 2023 season at Indiana, but he suffered a hand injury during a Week 2 win over Indiana State. Through the first seven games, he made just three receptions in four appearances.

But like he did at Clemson, Williams demonstrated in the final four games of the 2023 season that his height and athleticism can be valuable to Indiana. He hauled in a career-high 97 yards and tied his career-high with six receptions in the season finale against Purdue. 

Over the final month, he caught at least four passes and had at least 48 yards in all four games. He finished the year ranked fourth among Hoosiers in yards and receptions and third in total snaps.

Heading into 2024, Williams is part of a receiving corps that is shaping up to be one of Indiana’s top position groups. Cignetti retained last year’s leading receiver, Donaven McCulley, who drew interest from several national powers while in the transfer portal, as well as Andison Coby and Omar Cooper Jr. He bolstered the group with veteran transfer additions like Elijah Sarratt (James Madison), Myles Price (Texas Tech), Miles Cross (Ohio) and Ke’Shawn Williams (Wake Forest).

"We gotta utilize them, and the one good thing is that we can absorb an injury or two,” Cignetti said at Big Ten Media Days. “I'm still looking for a couple guys to step up and separate themselves from the rest. That would be a nice thing.”

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