Newest Isaiah Williams hoping to repeat namesakes' successes

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Aug. 19—CHAMPAIGN — Yes, he knows the names of the famous former Illinois football players.

Of course, he should. It's the same as his own.

Freshman defensive back Isaiah Williams hopes to add to the legacy of his namesakes at Illinois.

He was a three-star recruit from Houston-area power Fort Bend Marshall. Williams picked Illinois ahead of offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas A&M, among others.

Why did he sign with Illinois this past December? A belief from former Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry, along with others, on Bret Bielema's staff.

"They believed in me," Williams said. "It felt like home when I came on my visit. I just committed as soon as I got here."

It helped that NFL star Devon Witherspoon, who just became the highest-paid pro cornerback this past weekend, came from Illinois.

'Spoon is a plus for Illinois recruiting.

"That's where you want to be," Williams said.

He likes Champaign-Urbana, Well, sort of.

"There's nothing to do, so that's always good. Just to stay out of trouble," Williams said. "Keep my head focused on just football all day."

He enrolled in January, giving him a jump on football and academics. He is studying kinesiology.

"It taught me a lot about myself," Williams said about enrolling early. "Learning the defense, the terminology."

In high school, his team ran a 4-2-5 scheme, similar to what he will be doing now.

"At the end of the day, it's just football," Williams said.

His strength is figuring out what the offense is running and reacting to it. He also has strong ball skills, shown by the six interceptions he had in high school.

First-year defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck reminded reporters about Williams' age. He doesn't turn 19 until November.

"Heck, he was going to prom two, three months ago," Hauck said. "That's a work in progress."

Googled them

The first Isiah Williams at Illinois went by "Juice." The dual-threat quarterback led Illinois to an upset win against No. 1 Ohio State in 2007 (nine days after the latest Williams was born) and a spot in the 2008 Rose Bowl.

Juice Williams still ranks second at Illinois in career total offense with 10,594 yards and fourth in passing yards with 8,037 yards.

The Chicago native played at the same high school, Vocational, as Illinois and Bears legend Dick Butkus. He helped turn the Illini into a winner during the Ron Zook era.

Note that Juice Williams spells his first name without the extra "a."

The new Williams spells his name the same way as the former Illinois wide receiver.

That Isaiah Williams actually came to Illinois as a quarterback. The St. Louis native later moved to wide receiver, where he became one of the best in program history.

Williams ranks second at Illinois in career receptions with 214, only 48 behind College Football Hall of Famer David Williams (that last name is vital to Illinois football history).

Williams the receiver ranks fifth on Illinois' career yardage list (2,304) and eighth in touchdowns (14).

The Williams who is now in the Illini locker room is often asked if he is related to the previous Isaiah Williams, who last played for the Illini in 2023 and is entering his second season with the New York Jets.

"When I was little and I used to search him up, he would always pop up," the freshman said. "I didn't really know who he was until I got recruited to go here. … Every time I opened up Twitter, they'd be talking, 'Isaiah Williams. Isaiah Williams.'"

Height-wise, freshman IW is closer to "Juice" than the receiver. He is listed at 6 feet, 2 inches and 210 pounds.

Happy coincidence

The freshman likes the connection to the other IWs.

"It's pretty cool," he said. "It's a conversation starter to meet with some of the fans. That's who they remember watching and growing up. Hopefully, I can bring that same production to this program."

The youngest IW has a nickname, and it is not "Juice."

He goes by "Izzy," which was pinned on him by his aunt, mom and grandma.

"I'm starting to embrace it now," he said.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos