NIL Opportunities

Two-Time All-Big Ten

University of Illinois Graduate

2023 Junior

• Team captain 
• All-Big Ten First Team (coaches and media)
• Illinois' seventh All-Big Ten First Team wide receiver in program history
• All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (coaches and media) as a return specialist
• Jason Witten Man of the Year semifinalist (top 20)
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Biletnikoff Award watch list
• Started all 12 games at wide receiver
• Led the Big Ten in receptions with 82 during the regular season, 15 more than any Big Ten player
• 82 catches ranks tied for 13th in the nation during the regular season
• First Big Ten player with 80+ catches in back-to-back years since Dorien Bryant (Purdue) in 2006 and 2007
• Second in the Big Ten in receiving yards with 1,055 during the regular season, trailing only Marvin Harrison Jr.’s 1,211 receiving yards for Ohio State
• 1,055 yards receiving ranked 15th in the nation during the regular season
• Second in the Big Ten in first-down receptions with 48, trailing only Marvin Harrison Jr. by three (51) during the regular season
• 48 first-down receptions ranks 14th in the nation during the regular season
• Led the Big Ten and ranked 10th in FBS in yards after catch with 553, per PFF, during the regular season
• Only player in the nation with two game-winning touchdowns in the final minute or overtime and he did it in back-to-back games. He caught the game-winner with 50 seconds left to win at Minnesota, then had a walk-off winner to beat Indiana one week later.
• At least one catch in all 37 games since he switched from QB prior to the start of the 2021 season, the longest active streak in the Big Ten and tied for the eighth-longest active streak in the nation at the end of the regular season
• Tied the Illinois record of 37 consecutive games with a reception, previously set by Josh Ferguson (2011-15)
• At least three catches in 26 straight games
• Five 100-yard receiving games ranked fourth-best in Illinois single-season history, only one short from tying the Illinois record shared by Brandon Lloyd (2001) and David Williams (1984, 1985)
• Three straight 100-yard games in November: A career-best 131 receiving yards at Minnesota (11/4/23), then shattered his career-high mark with 200 receiving yards against Indiana (11/11/23), before totaling 105 receiving yards at Iowa (11/18/23)
• Game-winning 46-yard TD catch at Minnesota (11/4/23) with 50 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Illinois trailing by five points, after also keeping the Illini alive earlier in the drive with a 22-yard reception on 4th-and-11 from the Illinois 15-yard line with 1:25 remaining
• 21-yard walk-off winner in overtime to beat Indiana (11/11/23)
• 200 receiving yards against Indiana (11/11/23) are the third-most by a player in a Big Ten game during the regular season.
• 13 receptions at Minnesota (11/4/23) were the most by a Big Ten player this season and tied for the sixth-most by any FBS player in 2023
• 13 receptions at Minnesota (11/4/23) tied for the second-most in a single game in Illinois history and the most by an Illini in 35 years
• No. 2 in Illinois history in career receptions with 214. In the Illinois record book, Williams trails only College Football Hall of Famer David Williams’ 262 receptions (1983-85)
• 2,304 career receiving yards, seventh all-time in Illinois history
• 1,055 receiving yards this season were the most ever under head coach Bret Bielema
• Power-5 active leader in receptions among players who have eligibility remaining.
• Scored first receiving TD of season (10th career) at Maryland (10/14/23)
• Campbell Trophy semifinalist
• Maxwell Award watch list
• Wuerffel Trophy nominee
• Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten first team wide receiver
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten first team wide receiver
• PFF Preseason All-Big Ten first team wide receiver
• Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten third team punt returner
• Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Ten third team punt returner
• AFCA Good Works Team nominee
• Executive Board member for EMPOWER, Illinois' diversity and inclusion initiative group
• B1G Equality Coalition
• Completed a mission trip to Africa in Summer 2023
• No. 22 ranked player in the Big Ten in 247's preseason player rankings

2022 Sophomore

• Team captain
• All-Big Ten honorable mention (coaches and media)
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Illinois’ Howard Griffith Impact Player Award winner
• Started all 13 games at wide receiver
• 82 receptions for 715 yards and five touchdowns on the season
• Led Illinois in receptions (82), receiving yards (715), and receiving touchdowns (5)
• Three or more receptions in all 13 games and at least one catch in all 25 games over the last two seasons
• 16 punt returns for 120 yards on the season
• 25th in the nation and led the Big Ten in yards per punt return (7.5)
• Ranked in the top 10 in the Big Ten in receptions per game (2nd, 6.3), receiving yards (7th, 715), receiving touchdowns (10th, 5), and receiving yards per game (10th, 55)
• Second in the nation in yards after catch (683), according to PFF
• 15th in the nation and second in the Big Ten in receptions per game (6.3)
• Seventh in the Big Ten in first down receptions (35)
• Second on the team in all-purpose yards (840)
• Career highs in receptions (10) and receiving yards (120) in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Mississippi State 1/2/23
• Career-high two touchdown receptions against Michigan State 11/5/22
• Career-long 63-yard reception against Chattanooga 9/22/22
• Career-long 24-yard punt returns against Virginia 9/10/22 and at Nebraska 10/29/22
• Nine receptions for 112 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season at Indiana 9/2/22
• PFF National Team of the Week following the Indiana game after leading the nation in forced missed tackles (9), according to PFF

2021 Redshirt Freshman

• Academic All-Big Ten
• 47 receptions for 525 yards and four receiving touchdowns 
• Also ran for 61 yards and two touchdowns on the season
• Led Illinois in receptions (47) and receiving yards (525)
• Third in the nation among Power-5 freshmen in receptions (47), behind only Texas’ Xavier Worthy (62) and Georgia’s Brock Bowers (56)
• Tied for the team lead with five touchdowns (4 receiving, 1 rushing)
• Tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (4)
• 13th in the Big Ten in receptions (47)
• 14th in the Big Ten in receptions per game (3.9)
• 20th in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game (43.8)
• Career highs in receptions (8) and receiving yards (101) against UTSA 9/4/21
• Illinois team offensive MVP against Nebraska 8/28/21
• Switched to wide receiver for the final two spring practices in 2021

2020 Redshirt Freshman

• Played in five games and started four at quarterback 
• 26-for-63 passing for 393 yards, four touchdowns on the season 
• 63 carries for 389 yards and one touchdown on the season
• Finished the season with the 389 rushing yards, the ninth most in a season by a quarterback in school history.
• Finished the season No. 10 in career rushing yards by a QB with 405 rushing yards 
• Set the Illinois single-game rushing record by a quarterback with 192 yards in his first career start at Rutgers 11/14/20
• Rushed for 102 yards on 15 carries against Penn State 12/19/20 

2019 Freshman

• Played in four games and redshirted the season
• 3-of-10 passing for 38 yards, nine carries for 16 yards, and three receptions for nine yards on the season
• Played wide receiver for the first time during the Redbox Bowl and had three receptions for nine yards
• Made Illinois debut against Nebraska 9/21/19 on two designed quarterback run plays 

High School

• Four-star recruit by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN
• Ranked No. 47 recruit in the nation by Rivals, No. 93 by ESPN and No. 295 by 247Sports
• Ranked No. 5 athlete in the nation by 247Sports, No. 8 by ESPN and No. 16 by Rivals
• Ranked No. 1 recruit in Missouri by Rivals and ESPN and No. 5 by 247Sports
• No. 9 ranked recruit in Illinois’ last 17 years according to 247Sports
• Williams and Marquez Beason are Illinois’ two highest ranked recruits since Terry Hawthorne in 2009 and the highest combo since Arrelious Benn and Martez Wilson in 2007
• Illinois’ highest ranked quarterback recruit since Juice Williams in 2006
• Ranked as high as No. 25 overall recruit in the nation in February 2018 according to 247Sports Composite
• Played for head coach Cory Patterson, former Illinois assistant coach, during his first three years of high school
• Played for head coach Terrence Curry at Trinity Catholic as a senior
• 2019 Under Armour All-American selection
• 2018 Elite 11 Finals invitation
• 2018 and 2019 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year
• 2018 USA TODAY Missouri Offensive Player of the Year
• 2018 USA TODAY All-USA Missouri first team
• 2018 Missouri Football Coaches Association Class 3 All-State first team
• 2,470 passing yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior
• 1,132 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior
• 1,898 passing yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior
• Threw for 175 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 23 yards in the 2018 Missouri Class 4 state title game to help Trinity Catholic beat Cardinal Ritter
• Also played basketball and ran track at Trinity Catholic
• Verbally committed to Illinois in March 2018
• Offers included Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, South Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCF, Virginia, and Wisconsin

Personal

• Born Jan. 29, 2001
• Son of Ashley Harris and Wendell Williams
• One brother, Wendell Williams Jr., and two sisters, Zariyah Martin and Keira Williams
• Nicknamed “1”
• Has worn No. 1 since he started playing sports
• Picked Illinois because it is a, “prestigious university and family oriented.”
• Plans to open a training facility following his playing career
• Majoring in recreation, sport, and tourism