Fcs Football Central

DJ Williams Emerging As Walter Payton Award Contender For Southern Illinois

Timothy Rosario|
Southern Illinois quarterback DJ Williams (1)
Southern Illinois quarterback DJ Williams (1) | SIU Athletics

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Southern Illinois Salukis

In addition to my weekly Behind the Numbers review, I wanted to take the time to spotlight a player who may be front-and-center in the Walter Payton Award race.

Southern Illinois quarterback DJ Williams is doing some incredible stuff this season for the Salukis. The weekend, Southern Illinois scored 59 points against SEMO in a rivalry game on the road, where Williams finished with 342 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, 164 rushing yards, and another two scores.

He led the Salukis on eight touchdowns on their first 11 drives, and one of the other three drives ended with a field goal at the end of the first half. That's an incredible 5.4 points per drive for this offense, and Williams is the driving force for everything they are doing offensively.

This season, Williams is completing 56% of his passes thrown 10 or more yards downfield, averaging 13.9 yards per attempt on those passes. He's also been on target throwing underneath, with an adjusted completion percentage of 75% on short throws and 95% on throws at or behind the line of scrimmage.

Williams has been lethal when opposing defenses try to bring pressure with blitzes. He's had 31 pass attempts against the blitz this year, completing 67.7% of those passes for 340 yards, averaging an impressive 11 yards per attempt. He's been cool under pressure, finding a way to complete 66.7% of his throws when under pressure, totaling over 150 yards on 13.2 yards per attempt.

Southern Illinois quarterback DJ Williams
Southern Illinois quarterback DJ Williams (1) | SIU Athletics

Then we get to what really makes Williams special: His dual-threat ability. Williams runs with a combination of straight-line speed and power. He can take it to the house while also running over a defender on his way to the end zone.

He has 316 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns this year, while averaging over seven yards per carry. Williams is averaging 5.1 yards after contact, forced 14 missed tackles, and already has generated 13 carries for 10 yards or more. If you take away sacks, he's averaging over nine yards per carry.

I've often labeled Williams as "Baby Cam Newton" on FCS Football Central's official podcast, The Bluebloods. Let's make this clear... DJ Williams is NOT Cam Newton. Newton is a totally different level of player, who was 6'6, 250 lbs and a force that dominated the SEC. However, Williams' play style is similar to Newton's in respect to FCS competition.

Newton led a flawed Auburn team to an undefeated season and a national championship, winning the Heisman Trophy along the way. Through the first four games, this is the stat comparison between Williams in 2025 and Newton in 2010.

Newton (2010)

Williams (2025)

63.2%

68.0%

683 passing yards

988 passing yards

15.9 YPC

14.5 YPC

10.04 YPA

9.9 YPA

9 passing TDs

9 passing TDs

3 INTs

2 INTs

485 rushing yards

316 rushing yards

6.5 YPC

7.0 YPC

5 rushing TDs

7 rushing TDs

Again, I'm NOT trying to say Williams is Cam Newton, that Southern Illinois will finish the season undefeated against the FCS, or that Williams is a lock for the Walter Payton Award. It has only been four games, and Williams could cool off in conference play, or even go through a slump at some point this year.

It's not a perfect comparison, but I did want to highlight how dominant and fantastic Williams has performed through the first four games of the season. Imagine what the impact could be if we were to see this level of play continue throughout MVFC play.

Williams is a special player that you don't see come around often, and has the potential to win games that people wouldn't expect Southern Illinois to win. As Southern Illinois gets prepared for conference play, don't sleep on the impact of DJ Williams. His impact extends beyond the box score and could shape the FCS landscape later this season.

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Timothy Rosario
TIMOTHY ROSARIO

Timothy Rosario is a national contributor for FCS Football Central on SI. He previously served as an assistant coach at Sparks High School and North Valleys High School, focusing on linebackers and defensive backs. Timothy graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2019.

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