Every NFL Draft pick has a story, but CJ Williams’ journey to Jacksonville is anything but ordinary. From needing special permission to play football as a four-year-old to making Stanford history, here are five things you probably didn’t know about the Jaguars’ newest wide receiver.
Mater Dei Madness
Before CJ Williams became a Jaguar, he survived one of the toughest
proving grounds in American high school football.
Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana is more than just a powerhouse – it’s an NFL production line. Every practice is stacked with future Power Four stars and eventual professional players, meaning earning a starting spot can be as difficult as winning games on Friday nights. Williams flourished in that environment, helping Mater Dei capture three consecutive Trinity League championships while establishing himself as one of the nation’s premier receiver prospects.
It wasn’t just football that kept him busy. Williams also competed in track and field, helping develop the speed and explosiveness that would later become hallmarks of his game. But perhaps the biggest difference came before most of his classmates had even woken up.
During his senior year, Williams regularly attended 5 a.m. workouts at Saddleback Strength & Fitness before heading to school. Those early mornings were followed by classes, football meetings, practice and homework, creating a routine that mirrored the lifestyle of a college athlete long before he arrived on campus.
Sharing locker rooms with elite recruits every year meant there was little room for complacency. At Mater Dei, talent was expected. Improvement was mandatory. That relentless environment helped produce a polished receiver whose work ethic impressed coaches at every stop of his college journey.
Craving Competition
If you want to understand CJ Williams, start with his family.
Growing up in the Williams household, everything became a contest. Racing to the bathroom. Board games. Video games. Weight-room sessions. Even a casual game of Mortal Kombat quickly turned into a battle for bragging rights.
His younger brother once joked that no matter how much he practised, CJ always found a way to beat him at Mortal Kombat. Chess was no different. Despite his brother joining Chess Club, CJ still regularly came out on top.
Competition wasn’t encouraged in the Williams family – it was simply a way of life.
His father, Shelby “Lefty” Williams, has often spoken about his son’s desire to win, but insists the defining quality wasn’t the victories themselves. Instead, it was CJ’s willingness to outwork everyone else before expecting success. Winning was earned through preparation.
That mentality translated perfectly onto the football field. Coaches consistently praised Williams for his professionalism, attention to detail and willingness to improve every aspect of his game. Even after transferring schools multiple times, those qualities never changed.
For Williams, competition has never been limited to Saturdays. Whether it’s football, family games or a fighting game on the console, his approach remains remarkably consistent: prepare, compete and refuse to settle for second place.
College Football’s Ultimate Tour
Few players in this year’s draft experienced college football quite like CJ Williams.
One of the nation’s top recruits in the Class of 2022, Williams originally committed to Notre Dame before reopening his recruitment. He eventually signed with USC, joining one of college football’s glamour programs under Lincoln Riley.
His time in Los Angeles was brief. Looking for a bigger opportunity, Williams transferred to Wisconsin, trading sunny California for Big Ten football and one of the nation’s most physical conferences. He even earned Academic All-Big Ten honours before making another life-changing decision.
His final stop was Stanford.
In today’s transfer portal era, moving schools has become commonplace, but Williams’ journey exposed him to almost every environment imaginable. He experienced a blue-blood program, traditional Big Ten football and finally one of the country’s most prestigious academic institutions.
Each stop shaped him differently.
USC showcased elite offensive talent. Wisconsin reinforced toughness and discipline. Stanford provided the opportunity to become a featured receiver while earning one of the world’s most respected degrees.
Rather than viewing his journey as instability, Williams has often framed it as growth. Every move taught him something new, and by the time he reached the NFL, he’d experienced more coaching styles, offensive systems and locker rooms than many veterans.
Ending a Two-Decade Drought
Williams saved the best football of his career for Stanford.
After spending much of his college career as a complementary receiver, he exploded during the 2025 season, becoming the focal point of the Cardinal offense. The highlight came during a remarkable three-game stretch in which Williams recorded three consecutive 100-yard receiving performances.
It wasn’t just an impressive run – it was historic.
Williams became the first Stanford player since quarterback Alex Smith in 2004 to record three straight 100-yard games of any kind, and the first Cardinal wide receiver to achieve the feat since Biletnikoff Award winner Troy Walters accomplished it in 1999.
Considering Stanford has produced NFL receivers including Michael Wilson, JJ Arcega-Whiteside and Simi Fehoko in the years since, that statistic underlines just how rare Williams’ achievement really was.
His breakout season saw him lead the Cardinal in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches, earning team Offensive MVP honours and All-ACC recognition before declaring for the NFL Draft.
Sometimes all a player needs is the right opportunity. Williams finally got his, and he made Stanford history.
Permission to Play Football
CJ Williams’ football journey started earlier than almost anyone else’s.
Most organised tackle football leagues begin around five or six years old, but Williams was desperate to play even sooner. The problem was he was only four.
His parents eventually signed a waiver allowing him to compete against older children because he was below the league’s minimum age requirement.
While plenty of future NFL players talk about falling in love with football at a young age, Williams was literally fighting to get onto the field before he was officially old enough.
His father has often credited those early experiences with teaching resilience, discipline and toughness from the very beginning. Playing against bigger, older children forced Williams to mature quickly and develop the competitive edge that would later define his career.
More than two decades later, that same youngster who needed special permission simply to put on shoulder pads has reached the NFL.
For Jaguars fans, it’s a reminder that Williams’ story didn’t begin with recruiting rankings or transfer portal headlines. It started with a determined four-year-old who couldn’t wait another year to play the game he loved.
