Derek Williams came back from his knee injury last season. Getting back to the safety the Texas Longhrons remembered took longer.
That distinction mattered Monday when Steve Sarkisian discussed the safety’s progress ahead of Saturday’s trip to LSU. Williams had been playing well before his 2024 season ended against Oklahoma, but when he returned in 2025, the production and playing time did not come back with him.
Williams nearly continued that recovery somewhere else. Instead, changes on the Texas
defensive staff helped convince him to stay. Now the Longhorns are getting the benefit of that decision as the New Iberia, Louisiana, native prepares to return to his home state.
There was plenty for Williams to build on before the setback, including an elite recruiting pedigree. When the 6’2, 199-pounder committed to Texas in the summer of 2022, he was a consensus five-star prospect ranked as the No. 3 safety nationally. The Horns won out over the Tide, home-state Tigers, and 13 other offers as Williams became the first five-star safety pledged to Texas since 2018.
For Texas alum Blake Gideon, back in Austin as the team’s safeties coach, the commitment helped secure his reputation as a high-level recruiter — going into Louisiana and landing a top prospect coveted by LSU? Not for the faint of heart.
“Naturally, when you go into Louisiana, if it’s a really good player, you’re going to be in for a dog fight with LSU,” Sarkisian said.
There’s a certain gravity to Baton Rouge and the Bayou Bengals that makes it hard to leave Louisiana. In Texas, there are seven Power Four schools. In Louisiana, it’s just LSU.
“For the the magnitude of players they have, there’s only one power school for them they go to,” Sarkisian said.
After arriving in Austin, Williams quickly turned his potential into production, playing in 13 games as a freshman in 2023, finishing with 42 tackles, two tackles for loss, and two pass breakups. He had seven tackles against BYU and six apiece against Houston and Texas Tech.
The future was bright.
The next season brought his first career interception in the road win over Michigan. Against Oklahoma, he forced and recovered a fumble and recorded four solo tackles before suffering the ACL injury on special teams that ended his season.
Williams turned to his uncle, Earl Gilliam, during his recovery — Gilliam had experienced a knee injury of his own in high school.
Back on the field in 2025, Williams returned to appear in 12 games, but his place in the secondary had changed. Jelani McDonald and Michael Taaffe were entrenched as starters, Xavier Filsaime was pushing for playing time, and Williams struggled to establish a consistent defensive role. He remained involved on special teams and led Texas with eight tackles against Vanderbilt due to injuries, but that performance did not produce a permanent place in the starting lineup.
The coaches weren’t the same, either. Gideon had left to become the defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, ushering in the return of Duane Akina, who turned the Forty Acres into DBU.
“Comes back last year and was just not quite back to the player that he was prior to the injury, and it takes time. I think he was frustrated with playing time. I think he was frustrated that maybe he wasn’t the player that he was before,” Sarkisian said.
In December, Williams planned to enter the transfer portal, sitting out the Citrus Bowl win over Michigan. In early January, he reversed course and withdrew from the portal.
The arrival of defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and Gideon’s return helped change the outlook, bringing a familiar coach back into the building at a time when Williams was deciding whether to leave it.
“I credit bringing Coach Muschamp in, bringing Coach Gideon back and visiting with he and his mom to decide to stay,” Sarkisian said.
Staying gave Williams another opportunity. His production this fall shows what he has done with it, taking advantage of fellow safety Kobe Black missing time with injury.
Through nine games, Williams has made four starts. He recorded six tackles and a tackle for loss against Mississippi State, then added six tackles in the 34-20 win at Missouri, sharing the team lead in tackles in Columbia with linebackers Rasheem Biles and Justin Cryer.
With 41 total tackles, Williams ranks fourth on the team, adding three passes broken up, and 2.5 tackles for loss. Against Ohio State, Williams gave up a 43-yard reception as Muschamp’s coverage ideas against Buckeyes star Jeremiah Smith went severely lacking early, but since then, the safety known as the Raptor has only allowed 90 yards on 11 catches, just 8.2 yards per reception, according to Pro Football Focus.
Williams has arguably been even better in run defense, ranking second on the team with 19 tackles of opposing ball carriers with just missed two tackles and an average depth of tackle of 5.5 yards. Raptor-like, indeed.
“What a decision it’s been for him,” Sarkisian said.
Those are useful contributions from a player Texas could have lost during the offseason.
Sarkisian now believes Williams is playing better than he did before the injury, marking his redemption arc after nearly leaving Texas. Now he’ll head back to his home state as a key piece of the Longhorns defense.
