Northern Illinois University Athletics

Career
• Played two seasons at NIU (2023-24) after three at Iowa (2020-22).
• All-purpose back who excelled as a rusher, receiver and blocker.
• At NIU, gained 1,237 yards while playing in every game in 2023 and 2024.
• Averaged 5.3 yards per rush on 234 carries with seven touchdowns. 
• Totaled 1,708 rushing yards in 52 games at Iowa and NIU. 
• Caught 49 passes for 287 yards for NIU and 67 for 378 overall.
• Racked up 2,143 all-purpose yards – including 57 on kick returns – in his collegiate career.  
 
2024
• Led NIU in rushing yards with a career high 749 while playing in every game and starting five.
• Rushed 139 times for a 5.4-yard average with four touchdowns.
• Posted three 100-yard rushing games to lead NIU. 
• Fifth on the team with 25 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown. 
• Made multiple receptions in a game 10 times as a senior.
• Ran for a career-high 125 yards on 19 carries in win over UMass (10-5); had 74 rushing yards in drive that put NIU up 27-13 in the fourth quarter.
• Rushed a career-high 29 times and totaled 102 yards in NIU’s win at Bowling Green (10-12).
• His 17 carries for 59 rushing yards in NIU’s historic win at No. 5 Notre Dame (9-7).
• Carried the load on the Huskies’ game-winning field goal drive in the fourth quarter versus the Irish with six carries for 20 yards.
• Also made a huge play on kickoff return in the first quarter, grabbing a ball at the goal line to prevent an early turnover.
• Had six carries for 65 yards and a touchdown in win over Central Michigan (11-30).
• Caught a season-high four passes at Miami (11-19).
• Rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown in win over Akron (11-13).
• Recorded his career-long rush (71 yards) and career-long reception (35 yards) versus the Zips. 
• Had a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in win at Western Michigan (11-6).
• His two-yard touchdown reception was his first career touchdown catch. 

2023
• Played in all 13 games with double-digit carries in four contests.
• Finished as NIU’s second-leading rusher with 95 carries for 488 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
• His 24 catches ranked second on the team; totaled 147 receiving yards.  
• Recorded a career-high 103 rushing yards in the regular season finale at Kent State (11-25). 
• Rushed for 80 yards versus Eastern Michigan (10-21) and added four catches for 19 yards. 
• Had the longest rush of his career on a 53-yard touchdown run against Ohio (10-14). 
• Scored his first two rushing touchdowns of the season in win at Akron (10-7). 
• Caught five passes for 32 yards versus Southern Illinois (9-9). 
• Led the Huskies with 61 rushing yards in his NIU debut at Boston College (9-2).
• Carried nine times for 40 yards versus both Western Michigan (9-14) and Arkansas State (12-23). 

PRIOR TO NIU (2020-22 at Iowa)
In 26 games at Iowa, gained 471 yards on 116 carries to average 4.06 yards per carry … caught 18 passes for 91 yards as a Hawkeye.  
 
2022 (Sophomore): In 11 games, carried the ball 43 times for 138 yards to average 3.2 yards per rush … also caught nine passes for 44 yards with a long reception of 32 yards versus Nevada … had at least one carry in nine of 11 games played … started the Nevada and Rutgers games at running back … rushed a season-high 16 times for 57 yards versus Nevada and caught three passes for 34 yards … recorded seven carries for 17 yards at Rutgers and had a pair of catches for 10 yards … rushed four times for 20 yards at Ohio State for a five-yard average … gained 19 yards on six rushes versus Wisconsin … had four carries at Illinois and also recorded catches in the Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska games … preseason fourth-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports.
 
2021 (Freshman):  Saw action in all 14 games on the season … led team in rushing yards in both post-season games in 2021 . . .carried the ball 65 times for 305 yards to average 4.7 yards per carry … also caught nine passes for 47 yards … earned the team’s Next Man in Award on offense …. had four rushing attempts for 17 yards vs. Kent State, with a long of six yards . . . also caught three passes for 14 yards, with a long of 11 yards in the game . . . carried twice for 15 yards at Wisconsin, with a long of eight yards, along with a kickoff return for 18 yards . . . rushed 10 times for 41 yards at Northwestern and caught one pass for four yards . . . recorded 10 rushing attempts for 56 yards vs. Illinois, with a long of 16 yards . . . carried the ball six times at Nebraska and caught two passes for 16 yards . . . led team in rushing with 12 attempts for 56 yards in the Big 10 Championship game vs. Michigan . . . also had one pass reception and one incomplete pass attempt . . . started at running back in 20-17 Citrus Bowl loss to #22 Kentucky and led the team with career-best 16 rushing attempts for career-high 98 yards, with a long of 19 yards . . . also caught two passes for 14 yards vs. Kentucky … Academic All-Big Ten
 
2020 (Freshman): Redshirted after playing in just one game . . . saw first action of career in 49-7 win over Michigan State. . . totaled eight rushing attempts for 28 yards vs. MSU, with a long of seven yards . . . earned Dean’s List recognition in the fall of 2020 after joining the team the previous spring.
 
HIGH SCHOOL
First-team all-state, all-conference, and all-district as a senior . . . second-team all-state as a junior . . . first-team all-district and all-conference as a freshman, sophomore, and junior . . . a four-year football letterman . . . member of state championship team as a senior with 13-1 record . . . prep team reached state semifinals as a junior . . . state playoff participant as a freshman and sophomore . . . rushed for 1,263 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior . . . rushed for 1,309 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior . . . had 732 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore, with 421 receiving yards and two touchdowns . . . rushed for 805 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman, along with 242 receiving yards and one touchdown . . . also lettered three years in track.
 
PERSONAL
• Birthday is February 20th.
• Parents are Kori and Byron Williams.
• General studies major.