Highlights & Evaluation: Louisville ATH Commit D.J. Williams

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 6:00 AM ET

Another offensive playmaker in the Class of 2026 is opting to join the Louisville football program, as two-way prospect D.J. Williams has given his verbal pledge to the Cardinals.

Here is Louisville Cardinals On SI's full evaluation:

Prospect: D.J. Williams
Position: Wide Receiver/Safety
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 170 pounds
School: Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day
Top Offers: Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma
247Sports Composite Rating (Nat'l Rank): 0.8808 (572nd)

D.J. Williams' Junior Year Highlights: HERE (Hudl)

Frame: Going by his height/weight combination, as you can guess, Williams is overall fairly skinny. That being said, he sports a frame that has mix of wiry muscles and well-toned ones, and he could easily add more. Additionally, his wingspan is well above average.

Athleticism: Williams a great mix of athletic intangibles. For starters, both his north-south and lateral footwork are excellent for a player of his height. Combine that with a long stride, and his open field speed is extremely underrated. On top of that, he's got a good vertical, and his play strength is better than expected.

Instincts: Regardless if the ball is in his hands or not, Williams is exceptional at creating separation. He has a great (albeit slightly inconsistent) first step off the line of scrimmage, and is an overall good route runner with flashes of elite capabilities in this department. After the catch, he has a quick and shifty one-cut to find the open space, and excels at gliding past and/or around defenders. Not to mention his actual catching ability is very good, routinely making run-of-the-mill catches, while also showing flashes of upper tier playmaking ability.

Polish: While Williams plays both sides of the ball (mainly safety while on defense), Louisville recruited him exclusively as a wideout. Not only is he a very crisp route runner, his route tree is fairly developed for a HS wide receiver, not to mention he shines on both quick breaking routes and stop-and-gos. While more of a speedster, he actually plays well through contact and has very good contact balance. He has a good catch radius thanks to his wingspan, but he doesn't utilize it as much as you'd like.

Bottom Line: Overall, this is a great pickup for Louisville. Williams is exceptionally athletic, and he knows how to take utilize this on the football field and flash some serious playmaking ability. Add some weight and fine tune a few things, and there could be a possibility of getting playing time as a freshman.