Ex-Stanford Football Star Making a Strong First Impression in the NFL

Stanford football may have helped to create a gem for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wide receiver CJ Williams joined the Cardinal ahead of his senior season in 2025 after bouncing between USC and Wisconsin to start his college career. He broke onto the scene last year, catching 59 passes for 749 yards and six touchdowns while evolving into one of Stanford's top pass catchers.

While he was never talked about as an NFL prospect, Williams ended up being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round, proving just how highly he was viewed by at least one team.

Early on, it looks like the Jaguars were smart to invest a draft pick on the Tuscaloosa, Alabama native after he has turned several heads throughout the early portion of Jaguars' rookie minicamp. Entering camp with minimal expectations, Williams has impressed mightily. According to some Jaguars' reporters, he has looked like the best player at rookie minicamp.

"Williams did not have much national fanfare during the draft process, so it felt like he was entering the weekend with a relatively clean slate in terms of expectations," Carlos Sanchez wrote. "Maybe it is because of those expectations that Williams impressed, but he certainly looked like an interesting talent over the course of Saturday."

"He looked like the best receiver of the mostly-UDFA group with Cameron injured, and he made more than a few catches near the sideline that ended up catching my eye," John Shipley of Jaguars on SI wrote.

Williams may face an uphill battle to become an impact player, let alone make the 53-man roster, given the current makeup of the Jaguars' receiving room. But the Jaguars do also need depth at the receiver position.

Considering Williams' size and physicality, standing at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, the team could end up using him as a depth piece. With fellow sixth round draft pick Josh Cameron dealing with an injury, Williams has gotten those reps, which could help with his development into a pro.

Before Stanford, Williams spent his true freshman season at USC but limited to only four catches for 34 yards, he opted to transfer to Wisconsin for two years, playing there from 2023-24. At Wisconsin, despite having a bigger role than at USC, Williams was still used as a depth player, totaling only 31 catches for 396 yards and two touchdowns over the course of two seasons.

Then Williams went to Stanford to lead a new-look receiving core after the departure of Elic Ayomanor to the Tennessee Titans, and after a good season, he proved that he has what it takes to shine in high leverage moments.

Currently, the Jaguars' receiving room consists of Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter, Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers, who are all cemented onto the 53-man roster. But if Williams continues to impress, it will be hard to keep him off the field in his rookie year.

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