Texas high school quarterback Ziondre Williams still flying under the recruiting radar

The Anna quarterback has won 23 games, one state title in two years starting

Anna quarterback Ziondre Williams passes during a Class 5A Division II playoff game on Friday, Nov. 14 against Colleyville Heritage in Grapevine. / Cody Thorn/SB Live

In Anna’s first-ever UIL Class 5A Division II playoff game on Friday night, the offensive duo of Edward Chumley and Ziondre Williams came up big in the second half.

The Coyotes rolled to a 45-10 win over Colleyville Heritage, but at halftime, Anna led 10-7, and going into the fourth, the lead was 17-10.

Chumley ran for three scores, while Williams passed for a score and ran for another.

Williams threw for 300 yards, completing 19 of 29 passes — a good bounce-back after his third pass of the night was intercepted.

The junior added 87 yards rushing and a fourth-quarter touchdown.

The win was the seventh straight for the Coyotes, now in the area round with a game Friday against Abilene Wylie in Godley.

Three of the four teams from District 4-5A are still alive after the opening round. 

Williams has been a big reason for Anna's success.

He’s thrown for 2,655 yards with 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions, completing 66% of his passes. He’s a few runs away from 1,000 yards rushing this season, with 941 on 98 carries and 11 scores.

Despite the success — a 23-4 record in high school — he’s flying under the radar with only five offers. 

North Texas has offered him during this season, but he also had an offer from Texas State before playing a varsity game last spring. The 3-star recruit also holds offers from Louisiana Tech, Pittsburgh and UTSA.

“I think I have gotten a lot better as a quarterback since last year,” said Williams, who led the Coyotes to the 4A Division I title last year. “That is what I had to work on over the summer. Me working on my quarterbacking has gotten me recruited a lot more. After this season my stats, my stars and offers should go all the way up. I’m ready.”

His showing against Colleyville Heritage featured a number of big plays on almost all of the scoring drives for the Coyotes. 

On the first scoring drive, he hit Michael Kennedy for a 31-yard gain to move to the Heritage 24-yard line.

On the field goal drive late in the second quarter, he connected with Ashton Ansley for a 21-yard gain to move to the 21-yard line. 

“We gotta finish the drive; that was a nice 2-minute drill, but we got stopped,” Williams said of settling for a 10-7 lead at the break instead of 14-7.

In the third quarter, his 24-yard rush set up what was a Chumley touchdown run. Up 17-10 going into the fourth, he connected with Ronald Bell for a 4-yard touchdown on the first play of the last quarter.

Earlier in that drive, he and Bell connected for a 57-yard gain.

Williams ran for a 7-yard touchdown in the fourth. He’s an elusive rusher when he gets free. In seven of the 11 games this year, he’s averaged more than 11 yards per carry. 

#CU Next Week! @8_parr @AnnaCoyotesFB pic.twitter.com/VAj03e6Kli

— Ziondre Williams (@ZiondreWilliams) September 22, 2024

The only touchdown drive for Anna he didn’t have a big play, rush or pass, was on a 78-yard, two-play drive that ended with Chumley rushing for a score and then a defensive pick-six.

“Our quarterback is one of the best in the state,” Anna coach Seth Parr said. “And maybe in America, and he’s proven that for two years.”

Parr thinks Williams hasn’t drawn much interest as he should because of his height. While he has offers, he hasn’t visited any schools yet this fall like many of his contemporaries in the Class of 2026 have.

Williams said he hopes to take on-campus visits after the football season ends — which he hopes in mid-December like last year.

“He’s a winner, and he’s a good leader," Parr said. "He’s still growing and still wants to grow, and that’s big.”

WATCH THE POSTGAME INTERVIEW WITH ZIONDRE WILLIAMS: