CJ Williams brings Southern California to Madison

Madison - CJ Williams became close with Wisconsin quarterback Nick Evers at the All-American Bowl. The two were elite high school recruits, and when signing day came around, Williams chose hometown USC while Evers chose Oklahoma.

How did the two end up in Madison? Evers committed to the Badgers in late December, about two weeks before Williams’ Trojans would play in the Cotton Bowl. Williams checked in with Evers after he made his decision to play for Wisconsin.

“Why Wisconsin?” Williams texted him. “They don’t throw the football, and it’s Wisconsin: It’s colder than Oklahoma or Texas.”

Evers’ response was simple, yet telling. “Man, just wait,” he said.

In the Cotton Bowl, USC got upset by Willie Fritz’s storybook Tulane team. Williams, who had logged just four catches for 34 yards as a freshman at Southern California, would enter the transfer portal three days after the Bowl game. A week later, he was committed to the Badgers.

“I’m not saying that USC wasn’t the right spot for me if I would’ve waited my turn, sat there, whatever, but I think this is the right spot for me,” Williams mused.

“I think the biggest thing for me is I wanted to find somewhere where they believed in me as much as I believe in myself, as much as my parents believe in me.”

Williams, as a person and a football player, isn’t lacking in confidence. Maybe it’s the California energy, maybe it’s the fact that he’s the highest rated wide receiver in the internet recruiting era to ever commit to Wisconsin. Regardless, after his freshman season at USC, he needed a reset.

“You come out of the portal, and I don’t wanna say you’re low on life, but you’re not as confident in your playmaking ability, kinda wondering if you made the right decision,” the receiver admitted. For Williams, Wisconsin’s new receiver coach Mike Brown was a catalyst for that reset.

“I was looking for a coach who believed in me,” Williams said “You want someone that believes in you and knows that you’re still the playmaker that you were. Coach Brown brought that added confidence for myself, whether it was in the process of recruiting or even when I got here.”

Brown was a big help in convincing Williams to sign with Wisconsin. It wasn’t as simple as the coach selling the wide out on his vision, though. It’s quite the culture shock for a kid from Orange County to visit Madison in January.

“This may not be the spot for me,” Williams remembered thinking upon experiencing the Wisconsin winter. “Coming from California, it was like 75 (degrees) when I left.”

What’s more, Williams’ official visit to Madison lasted less than 24 hours. That’s not a lot of time for the coaching staff to present their pitch. When he met with head coach Luke Fickell, he was apparently very honest in assessing his own recruitment.

“I’m taking a leap of faith if I’m committing to you right now,” he recalled telling Fickell. “But you’re also taking a leap of faith if you’re committing to me. Because at the end of the day, we don’t know anything about each other.”

Ultimately, the two learned just enough to commit to each other. Williams found everything he was looking for in Madison — like-minded teammates, like-minded coaches and an exciting opportunity to compete amongst college football’s elite. Still, outsiders questioned his decision.

“A lot of California people, even now that I’m here, a lot of people ask me, ‘why’d you come to Wisconsin of all places? You could’ve transferred to the south, you could’ve transferred to UCLA, you could’ve stayed at USC.’”

Williams, though, sought the right place for himself culturally, not necessarily geographically.

“I explained to them it’s more the fit for me. It’s less so the place,” he said. “And Wisconsin is an awesome place, don’t get me wrong. I personally think the city of Madison is very similar to where I grew up, Orange County area.”

He paused. “Minus the weather, obviously. No beach, we got a lake,” he said with a smile.

Another thing Williams isn’t lacking is friends who are really good football players. Shortly after committing to Wisconsin, Williams caught up with another good friend, potential top-5 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft C.J. Stroud. Stroud is also a Southern California native; he played high school football about an hour drive away from Williams’ alma mater, the prestigious Mater Dei. After throwing for 85 touchdowns in two seasons as a starting quarterback for Ohio State, however, Stroud knows a thing or two about the midwest.

“Man, you made the right decision, but it’s different out there,” Williams recalled Stroud telling him. “You gotta understand it’s a little different in the Midwest. It’s cold, different type of people, different culture.”

That different culture, perhaps, bleeds into football. Williams has been notable during Wisconsin’s spring practices, not only for his playmaking but for his fiery attitude. He’s not shy about voicing his displeasure with a failed play, or getting into it with a handsy defensive back.

“I’ve been playing football since I was four years old. This is all I know,” he said. “The fire I bring to football is just the love I have for it.”

“That fiery, competitive spirit, it’s a California thing for sure…playing with a lot of guys from the L.A. neighborhoods, you see it on a daily basis, you see all those things. Whatever it may be, the little chippiness, the ball-spinning, that’s a common thing to me.”

Williams' fire has at times gotten a little too hot. During the Badgers third spring practice, Williams lost his temper after a play and hurled the football at a defensive back who was covering him. Brown proceeded to send him on a lap around the field.

“That was just me and that guy competing,” Williams said of the incident. “We went into the locker room and dapped up after that. I probably shouldn’t have thrown the ball at him, but Coach Brown loves the dog (mentality).”

“I love it. I love guys that are feisty,” Brown confirmed. “I love guys that wanna get after it, wanna be physical…if you're a pest, that’s a good thing. If the DBs don’t like you, that’s probably a good thing.”

Brown also spoke about the importance of controlling emotions, and tossing the ball at an unsuspecting teammate certainly falls outside of that realm. Still, Williams has been able to keep his temper as of late and harness his passion for the game. In recent practices, he’s been a highlight machine.

Brown was asked to pick a favorite catch from his receiver group this spring. Without much hesitation, he said “It was probably the catch by CJ over there in the end zone. One-handed, with a guy coming down barreling on him.”

That was indeed a spectacular catch. And Williams let the defense know, spinning the ball on the turf in celebration.

“Now, he shouldn’t have spun the ball, he got me cursed out for that,” Brown joked. “But that’s besides the point.”

Still, Williams holds that he’s never been flagged in-game for excessive celebration.

“Never in a game,” he said. “I feel like I’ve never gotten one in a high school football game, in a youth football game…For celebrations, I’ve definitely not gotten a (penalty). For chippiness, I have, but that’s just who I am, that’s the dog I bring out, that’s just my character.”

Looking at the big picture, Williams understands the expectations that come with being the highest-ranked receiver to ever play for Wisconsin. And yet, he stays level by holding himself to his own expectations.

“I have a standard that I hold myself to, and it’s beyond stars or anything they can write,” he said. “As much as I wanna make everybody proud, I wanna make myself proud.”