From LA to Madison: New WR CJ Williams proud to be a Badger

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- It is a new era for Wisconsin Badgers football, and Luke Fickell and the rest of the staff have been wasting no time getting active on the recruiting train.

Fickell has brought in plenty of transfers. A number of them have followed him over to Madison from Cincinnati, while others have joined the coveted coach from notable schools.

One of those players is former USC Trojans wide receiver CJ Williams.

Williams grew up with the game of football in his blood, playing tackle football at the young age of 4.

“My parents had to sign a waiver so I could play with the 5 and 6-year olds. It’s all the attitudes that came along with football. All the hard work, all the grit, all those different things.”

Williams was a big name out of high school. The four-star receiver had offers from several notable schools across the country. Williams also made a significant impact in high school, helping Mater Dei to an undefeated 12-0 record, along with a 2021 national, state Open Division and CIF Southern Section Division I titles.

After high school, Williams was invited to play in the 2022 Under Armour All-American game -- an annually televised game that showcases the nation’s top high school recruits.

Williams came into that game and made a strong name for himself, recording four catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. He caught several of his passes from now Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik.

“Cade is a dog. I think he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, and he proved it last year. Came in as a true freshman, and I’m proud of him for that,” said Williams. “He’s just a great guy to be around, he’s a believer in Christ, he’s a guy you have to root for.”

Williams learned a lot from being able to showcase his talent in front of the best of the best recruits in the 2022 class, on national television. He talked about how proud he was to be able to play with the other top recruits in his class. Being able to play in the Under Armour All-American game helped Williams realize that he was able to play at a high level and compete against those top players.

“Being able to showcase my talent on that level, I think it meant a lot for me because I was a guy that was pretty high ranked coming out of high school,” he said. “There’s guys out there, people that doubt your rankings, people that doubt your ability all the time, but I was proud to be able to go out there against the best competition, the best corners. Guys that are now at Georgia, guys that are now playing at South Carolina.”

After that, Williams was officially a collegiate athlete. He played a year at USC, where he was featured in 11 games for the Trojans. After his first year, Williams entered the transfer portal.

When choosing his next school, Williams wanted a coach that he could build a relationship with both as a player and on a personal level.

“Coming somewhere where they believed in me just as much as I believed in myself,” said Williams. “You kind of go somewhere and you get lost on a lot of stuff, but at the end of the day, it’s football, and these guys, they love it just as much as I do, and they see the potential that I have.”

It didn’t take long for the talented pass-catcher to make a decision on his future. Williams announced his commitment to Wisconsin on Jan. 12, 2023, and when that happened, Badger fans erupted with excitement.

“Fickell was a guy that had his name in that coaching carousel, and I was like ‘I would love to play for that guy, especially when I was coming out of high school and he was at Cincinnati,” said Willams. “Just being the man he is, and the coach he is, he is a player’s coach.”

Williams has been on campus for just over five months now, and he says he has been welcomed with open arms from fans across the area.

“I’ll walk around State Street, and people still to this day, they’ll tell me how excited they are to see me play,” said Williams. “Just getting the opportunity to play for them, I’m gonna be extremely grateful for.”

Williams’ adjustment and acclimation to the team have been an exciting process. He’s made some friends early with his new fellow teammates. One of those players is veteran wide receiver and Waukesha native Chimere Dike. Dike has become a leader on this Badgers football team, especially a squad that brought in a ton of wide receiver talent this offseason.

“Chim is the ultimate leader. Chim is the ultimate friend. He’s just such a good dude. Just being able to watch him go to work, I think that was something that was really eye-opening for me.”

Williams also knows what it’s like to catch passes from talented quarterbacks. His teammate last year at USC was the highly-coveted signal caller, likely number one draft pick in 2024 and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner – Caleb Williams. CJ Williams will now be catching passes from former SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai, who has made a strong name for himself at the collegiate football level.

"He’s a great football player. I see him as being a guy that’s gonna make a difference this year in the whole face of college football.”

CBS 58 has spoken with several former Badgers, and they all had one word to describe the culture of Wisconsin football – a ‘brotherhood’. Williams talked about how brotherhood is an advocate and a staple for what Wisconsin football is.

“I definitely get the sense of brotherhood and love for one another, and just doing it for each other, whether it’s in the weight room, or in town, you can actually get a sense that we’re a brotherhood and we enjoy being around each other.”

Williams has been turning heads early in practice with his talent. He has been able to show off his strengths to coaches early, and it certainly has been showing.

“I think my strength is my feet. That’s something that I did very well in high school was routes. My playmaking ability. When it comes down to it, in the nitty gritty of things I make plays. Those are just two areas that I am strong in, but I can get stronger.”

The young pass-catcher has plenty of room to grow, and he believes he has the right coaching to help him be the best player he can be.

“My run after catch. That was something in high school that I think I overlooked.” said Williams. “And then my deep shot ability. To be able to run by some DBs, just being able to showcase my ability to make plays down the field.”

Williams believes he picked the right school. His advice to those in their recruiting process?

“Go somewhere where they believe in you as much as you believe in yourself.”