If Williams Wins Starting WR Job, Justice Is Served

Husky Roster Review: The sophomore proved healthier in the spring than the other candidates.

Justice Williams lines up during the Spring Game. | Dave Sizer photo

One by one during spring practice, University of Washington football players dropped out of the competition for the Z position, which is the wide receiver who lines up on the same side as the tight end.

Chris Lawson, Christian Moss, Bodpegn Miller and Jordan Clay each turned up injured for some or most of the 15 workouts.

They traded in their purple uniforms and pads for black T-shirts and shorts, signifying their unavailability. Pulled hamstrings largely were the culprit.

One who survived this April epidemic of strained muscles was Justice Williams, who wasn't nearly so fortunate during the 2025 season.

A disabled toe limited the 6-foot-3, 219-pound sophomore from Westlake Village, California, to just four games and 2 catches for 28 yards last fall.

Considering what happened to his teammates, he now might have a leg up on them entering August. A healthy leg.

Justice Williams seeks separation from edge rusher Isaiah Ward. | Dave Sizer photo

This is one in a series of articles -- going from 0 to 99 on the UW roster -- examining what each scholarship player and leading walk-on did in spring practice and what to expect from them going into fall camp.

Williams comes from strong football genes. His father Roland played tight end for Syracuse and enjoyed an eight-year NFL career with the St. Louis Rams, the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Bucs, which included a Super Bowl XXXIV win for the Rams in 2000 in Atlanta.

A native New Yorker, Williams's dad had 6-foot-5, 265-pound dimensions. So far, the Huskies have resisted trying to turn the son into a tight end, as well.

Justice Williams tries to avoid a tackle by Gavin Day. | Dave Sizer photo

"Justice is another one that's a big physical player," UW receiver coach Kevin Cummings said. "He has to continue to learn technique. When you're a big receiver, you have to learn to play big but also have to learn how to play small. That's what he's sorting out right now."

As a big target, the Huskies threw to Williams three times in the end zone this spring, trying to create a jump ball, and he hauled in a 25-yard scoring pass from Demond Williams Jr. during the 10th practice.

Tbe UW also tried to hit him on the run going deep a couple times and redshirt freshman quarterback Kini McMillan found a diving Williams with a 35-yard pass in practice No. 8, with the receiver so pleased by this he jumped to his feet to signal first down while pushing to be a first-teamer.

"We're challenging him to be a lot better," Cummings said, "because he has the size and speed to do it."

What he's done: Williams played against Colorado State, UC Davis, Washington State and Ohio State last fall before he injured his toe and was done for the season. He caught a pair of 14-yard passes against UC Davis. This spring, he unofficially had 17 receptions for 247 yards, with five catches going for 20 yards or more.

Starter or not: Into his third UW season, Williams finally might be ready to step in as a first-teamer at the Z position. When spring ball ended, he certainly held the advantage because he had stayed healthy and took part in all 15 practices.