Indiana football's 2024 receiver room features a plethora of talent throughout the entire receiving corp.
Former four-star receiver recruit E.J. Williams is back for year two with the Hoosiers following an injury riddled 2023 campaign.
As the former top high school prospect turns his attention to his fifth collegiate season, recap Williams' 2023 season and preview what's ahead for the talented wideout.
SEE ALSO:
- Position Preview: Indiana's 2024 wide receivers
- Position Preview: Indiana's 2024 tight ends
- Indiana football opponent preview: Week 2 versus Western Illinois
2023 SEASON RECAP
Over the course of the 2023 campaign, Williams featured in eight different games for the Hoosiers, making three starts.
A first-year Hoosier after transferring in from Clemson ahead of the 2023 campaign, Williams struggled throughout the early stages of his Indiana career.
A hand injury that Williams suffered during the first half of a week two contest against Indiana State kept the receiver out of the next four games.
Williams tallied just four receptions across his first four appearances a season ago, failing to record multiple receptions in a single game until Indiana's ninth game of the season against Wisconsin in Bloomington.
In that contest, Williams caught four passes for 48 yards, both of which were season-highs at the time.
Williams' solid performance against the Badgers foreshadowed what was to come for the former Clemson Tiger.
Throughout the final four weeks over the season, including that game against Wisconsin, Williams totaled 20 catches for 247 yards.
While Williams was still unable to find the end zone down the back stretch of the season, the wideout's strong close to the regular season in 2023 culminated in a six catch, 97-yard day in the season finale against Purdue.
If Williams can parlay his November success during the 2023 season into more success in 2024, Williams could force his way into regular and consistent playing time this upcoming season.
2024 SEASON OUTLOOK
The biggest threat to Williams' snap count this upcoming year has nothing to do with the wideout himself.
Heading into the 2024 season, the Hoosiers feature one of the most talented and deep receiving corps Bloomington has possessed in quite some time.
That means for a guy like Williams that he is going to have to fight and earn all the playing time he gets this upcoming season.
One of the biggest keys for Williams this season is for the talented wideout to realize that sky-high potential that made him a top-10 receiving prospect in the nation out of Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama.
Originally committing to Clemson out of high school, Williams disappointed in three seasons with the Tigers. He collected 40 catches for just under 400 total yards receiving and found the end zone just twice during his time at Clemson.
The talent is still there for the 6-foot-4 wideout, and now armed with four years of collegiate experience, Williams has the chance to put together an impressive 2024 season in what figures to be a high-powered Indiana offense.
If he can get off to a strong start this season, earning himself more targets as the year progresses, Williams could be primed for a breakout season in 2024 with the cream and crimson.
FROM CIGNETTI
Cignetti has yet to explicitly comment on Williams so far this offseason, however the Hoosiers' new head coach did mention that Williams got off to a strong start to the spring before suffering a leg injury that limited his ability to participate throughout the last couple of weeks of the spring.
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