Could This Former Wisconsin Standout be a Major Key for Stanford?

C.J. Williams joins Stanford with an opportunity to take on a big role

Oct 5, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver C.J. Williams (4) during warmups prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

This season is a massive one for the Stanford Cardinal for many reasons. Looking to improve from a 3-9 finish--a record that they held for four straight seasons, the Cardinal will also look to establish both a new identity and figure out which direction they will be going under interim head coach, Frank Reich.

For those reasons alone, it is very possible that one of Stanford's offseason portal pickups could end up being a major key for the upcoming campaign.

C.J. Williams, a former wide receiver at Wisconsin, signed with Stanford ahead of his final season of eligibility hoping to join a program where he would get the chance to really shine.

Putting together a career season in 2024 that saw him catch 16 passes for 248 yards and the first two touchdowns of his college career, it was expected that Williams would be an integral part of the offense as soon as he stepped foot onto the field.

But now, Williams may have no choice but to be a day one star. Since the end of last season, the Cardinal have lost a lot of big-time players at the wide receiver position, most notably Elic Ayomanor, Emmett Mosley V, Ismael Cisse and Mudia Reuben.

While Ayomanor's loss was expected, as he is headed to the NFL Draft, losing Cisse and Reuben, while also losing up and coming stars Emmett Mosley V and Jackson Harris, could put the Cardinal wide receiver room into a state of unknown and force guys like Williams to really step up to fill the void.

Williams brings a lot to the table. For one, his 6-foot-1, 196 pound frame is the ideal fit for the Cardinal offense, as the team has been known to want to utilize bigger wideouts who can go up and make plays when needed.

A good route runner who is very good at getting open, Williams also has the potential to provide a safety blanket for quarterback Elijah Brown.

However, Williams is not the only wide receiver that the Cardinal were able to sign this offseason, which could provide competition for him when it comes to starting.

Stanford also signed Yale's David Pantelis, South Carolina State's Caden High, and Colorado's Jordan Onovughe. Each of the three other signings also have the potential to be major stars for the Cardinal and provide an added spark that nobody knew they were capable of.

2025 will be an interesting season to say the least. While it may be considered a setback that the program hired a one-year interim coach while they search for a full-time replacement, the mentality around the program remains the same.

Everyone involved is eager to prove the college football world wrong and show that Stanford is capable of returning to national prominence. The question now becomes whether or not that can actually happen.