Indiana Football Nabs FCS Freshman All-American CB in Transfer Portal

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana football has added an important piece to its secondary for the 2026 season.

The Hoosiers landed a commitment from former Montana State cornerback Carson Williams on Sunday, he announced on social media. Williams has three years of eligibility remaining.

Williams joins one of the nation's best transfer portal classes, one that already includes reinforcement to the back-end of the defense in Wisconsin safety Preston Zachman and Cincinnati safety Jiquan Sanks.

Meet Carson Williams

The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Williams played in 20 games across two seasons at Montana State, where he arrived as a three-star recruit after being named a first-team All-District 14-6A honors as a senior at Westfield High School in Houston.

His lone Power Four offer out of high school was Kansas State, though he had offers from several Group of Five schools such as Boise State and Marshall, according to 247Sports. Williams appeared in four games as a true freshman in 2024, making one tackle, but ultimately took a redshirt.

Williams' breakout came in 2025, when he appeared in all 16 of Montana State's games and notched 46 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and nine pass breakups. He was named an FCS Freshman All-American by OnSI's FCS Football Central.

The Bobcats, who won the FCS National Championship, used Williams at outside corner. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams played 594 snaps on defense, and 544 came at cornerback — 291 on the right side and 253 on the left. He saw 43 snaps in the box, four at nickel corner and three aligned near the defensive line.

Opposing quarterbacks went 38-for-63 passing — a 60.3% clip — for 321 yards and two touchdowns against Williams, who held receivers to just 8.4 yards per catch and didn't allow a gain longer than 20 yards, per PFF. He committed five penalties.

Williams also played a role on Montana State's special teams unit. He saw 96 snaps in the game's third phase while working on the punt coverage, punt return and field goal block teams.

What Carson Williams brings to Indiana football

In addition to championship pedigree, Williams adds a proven young talent to the Hoosiers' secondary. Both of Indiana's starting cornerbacks — D'Angelo Ponds and Jamari Sharpe — have another year of eligibility, though Ponds may opt for the NFL Draft.

Redshirt junior cornerback Ryland Gandy, who started in place of the injured Ponds against Iowa on Sept. 27, could also return if he chooses. Indiana is high on true freshman Jaylen Bell, who has spent much of the season shadowing Ponds while making five tackles in 12 games.

The Hoosiers have depth in place entering 2026, but little production — and Indiana coach Curt Cignetti often preaches production over potential. Williams is a strong blend of both.