Buckeyes Now

Former Ohio State Receiver Jameson Williams Suffered Torn ACL In National Championship

Williams went down following a 40-yard reception in the second quarter of Monday night’s game.

Andrew Lind

According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, former Ohio State and current Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams suffered a torn ACL in the second quarter of last night’s College Football Playoff National Championship game against Georgia.

“Doctors believe that, after surgery within the next 10 days, Williams will retain his sub 4.3 speed, and they expect a full recovery,” Schefter said.

Williams caught a 40-yard pass with just under 12:30 remaining in second quarter but fell awkwardly to the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium as he attempted to cut and avoid a tackle. 

He was helped off the field and into the medical tent by the Crimson Tide’s training staff, then walked to the locker room under his own power, where he was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Without Williams on the field, Alabama’s offense struggled to move the ball in the 33-18 loss. He’d already caught four passes for 65 yards in the game, adding to 75 catches for 1,507 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season.

“This guy contributed tremendously to our team all year,” Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said after the game. “He has great speed. He’s a vertical threat. I think our offensive coaches did a great job of utilizing his talent this year. He’s been very productive.

“Anytime you lose players like this it has an impact on your team. Yeah, it gives other players opportunities – and I’m not disappointed in how they responded to that – but there’s no question that you win with great players, you win with great people and he’s been a great person and a great player on our team all year long. When you take him out of the lineup, it has to have some impact.”

A junior who transferred from Ohio State to Alabama last May, Williams is projected to be a first-round pick in April’s NFL Draft. He has until next Monday to official declare for the draft, though he certainly won’t be able to work out for teams in the months ahead.

The typical recovery time for a torn ACL is eight to 12 months, which means Williams could be back to full strength by the time the 2022 NFL season rolls around in September. It's more likely he'll miss at least the start of his rookie year, however.

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Andrew Lind
ANDREW LIND

Andrew Lind is an Ohio State beat writer and photographer at BuckeyesNow, founder of The Ohio State Uniform Database and the NCAA and NFL writer at SportsLogos.net.

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