Stanford adds to receiver room, lands former Wisconsin standout

Williams may have played a more limited role over the last three seasons, but his experience and talent makes his addition that much more exciting.

Oct 5, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver C.J. Williams (4) during warmups prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Stanford’s wide receiver room for 2025 is starting to come along nicely. With Elic Ayomanor declaring for the NFL Draft and guys like Jackson Harris and Chase Farrell transferring, wide receiver became a major position of need for the Stanford Cardinal this offseason. And it appears that they have been able to relieve some of that need, with former Wisconsin wideout C.J. Williams announcing his commitment to the Cardinal on Friday.

Finding The Will Of God…
Psalm 119:105@StanfordFball 🌲 pic.twitter.com/EoluiHX0YR

— CJ Williams (@CJWilliams_03) December 27, 2024

Williams, a former four-star recruit out of Mater Dei High School, spent the previous two seasons playing for the Badgers where he posted 31 catches across two seasons, with his best season happening in 2024, where he caught 16 passes for 248 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

In his first season in Madison, Williams recorded 15 catches for 148 yards. Williams also played at USC, spending his true freshman season in Southern California playing for the Trojans and head coach Lincoln Riley before entering the portal for the first time.

Standing at six-foot one and weighing 196 pounds, Williams is a red zone threat, bringing both length and athleticism to the receiver position. Coming in with a lot of experience playing Power Four football, Williams will compete for a starting job immediately, with the expectation being that he will be a major contributor right away.

A standout at Mater Dei, Williams put together an accolade-filled prep career, including earning MaxPreps Sophomore All-American second team honors in 2019 after finishing the campaign with 50 catches for 684 yards and four touchdowns, helping Mater Dei finish 12-0 in 2021 en route to winning the CIF Southern Section title, state Open Division title and the national title.

His senior year in 2021 was particularly dominant as he was named to the PrepStar Dream Team, the All-CIF Division 1 and Orange Country first teams after finishing the year with 46 catches for 775 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Now getting the opportunity for another fresh start on The Farm, Williams will take advantage of being the new kid on the block and look to make a good first impression so he can earn a shot to make a name for himself and prove to the entire college football world exactly what he is made of.