USC wide receiver transfer C.J. Williams could be the perfect fit for Stanford's offense
It's not very often in recruiting that you get a second chance to land an athlete who projects to be an elite college player and has pro potential.
The transfer portal has made that a possibility for Stanford, who has a prime opportunity to land a former top-100 recruit who heavily considered the Cardinal. Former four-star receiver and Mater Dei product, C.J. Williams, who spent this past season at USC, is on the market again.
Williams, who was at one point a Notre Dame commit ended up flipping to play for Lincoln Riley at USC over the likes of UCLA, Texas, and of course Stanford. Coming out of high school he was one of the most sought after recruits in the country, fielding a total of 49 offers. While it was a different staff who recruited Williams, Troy Taylor and company badly need to bolster a receiver room that is losing 52% of their production from a year ago following the departures of Elijah Higgins, Brycen Tremayne, and Michael Wilson.
Williams is someone who can come in right away and establish himself as the No. 1 or 2 receiver, something he didn't have the chance to do while he was at USC due to injuries and the fact that the Trojans took in a major haul of veteran receivers from the transfer portal this past year. Stanford's receiving room is headlined by John Humphreys who recorded 29 catches for 348 yards this past season, meaning there is a prime opportunity to carve out a significant role. When he was coming out of high school, Williams player comp was to Los Angeles Chargers wideouts Keenan Allen.
Here is what Stanford would be getting in the USC transfer according to 247Sports' Greg Biggins' evolution, if they were able to persuade him to transfer to Stanford:
Smooth pass catcher who can line up at any of the receiver positions. Strong frame with plenty of room to add good weight and strength. Gets off the line well and shows the short area quickness to separate. Not a burner but runs well enough and has improved his long speed over the last year. Advanced route runner, very polished. Smart and understands how to set up a corner, when to settle in to a zone and doesn’t run himself out of being open. Natural pass catcher with good jump ball skills. Does a nice job winning 50-50 balls and catches the ball well through contact. A willing blocker, great teammate and tremendous off the field work ethic. Projects as an impact upper tier Power 5 starter and potential high round NFL draft pick.
Just speculating based off how his high school recruitment went, it is fair to assume that both UCLA and Notre Dame might attempt to reconnect with Williams, but this could be the biggest move of the offseason for Stanford if they can pull this off. Taylor's offense is receiver friendly which could bode well, it is just a matter of getting a conversation with Williams.
Stanford has already landed a couple transfers this offseason, but landing Williams would be the biggest splash of them all.
According to 247Sports' Composite Rankings, Williams ranked as the No. 62 overall player in the class of 2022.
