33 Days till Kickoff: Baylor’s #33 Will Williams
As always, keep track of both the stats and roster countdowns in the Offseason Hub!
Will Willims is a junior linebacker from El Paso, Texas. He should have two years of eligibility remaining past this season, and Baylor’s website has him listed at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds. Williams is a freak athlete with 4.5 40-speed from the inside backer position.
With Terrel Bernard off to the NFL, there will be a competition for the other starting linebacker spot next to Dillon Doyle. It’s yet to be seen who will get that nod between Wiliams, Matt Jones, or Josh White. But it’s safe to say all three of the guys listed will see the field because of their immense talent. While at BU, Williams is majoring in sociology, and he made the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll in the fall of 2021.
Williams played safety in high school and bounced around playing multiple different positions at BU before settling at linebacker in 2021. Our own Travis Roeder had this to say about the El Paso native, “Williams’ improvement from last season to this Spring shows you how quickly he is capable of progressing. Some guys just need that kind of attention from the staff, and then they can blossom. Williams is clearly doing great under Ron Roberts’ tutelage. I think he’s the favorite to start this year and, at worst, is in a rotation at LB. He’s too athletic and playing with too much aggression and confidence to keep him off of the field.”
In 2021, Williams played in 13 games and totaled seven tackles. His best game of the season came against Iowa State, in which he set a career-high with four tackles and a forced fumble in the thrilling victory over the Cyclones.
Williams played in three games and had one tackle against TCU but elected to redshirt the 2020 season. He appeared in four games as a true freshman and made his Baylor debut against SFA, and recorded two tackles.
At Chapin High School in El Paso, Williams posted 97 tackles, 4.0 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, six PBUs, and two interceptions as a senior. He was rated three stars by 247 and was the No. 100 player in Texas. He committed to Baylor in the class of 2019.