BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti outlined a pretty straightforward path for E.J. Williams to have a prominent place in the rotation this fall.
Cignetti addressed the topic when he spoke with reporters at Big Ten Media Days last week.
“Got to get him on the field and keep him on the field,” Cignetti said. “That’s the biggest thing, the best ability is availability. You got to stay on the field and that’s been his biggest nemesis.”
Williams sat out much of spring practice after suffering an undisclosed injury. The injury also sidelined him during IU’s spring game.
“I think he practiced three times this spring, but I sure liked those three practices,” Cignetti said, with a smile. “Now, let’s keep him on the field so we can utilize him.”
Williams has been plagued by various injuries since having a breakout game in the College Football Playoff semifinals back in 2020 as a true freshman. He followed an early 33-yard touchdown catch in the 34-10 win over Notre Dame with an impressive one-handed grab that he somehow reeled in while falling backwards.
The standout performance allowed Williams to showcase the size and athleticism that made him the Class of 2020’s No. 67 overall ranked player.
Williams dealt with a recurring knee injury in 2021 that ultimately required surgery and impacted his relationship with the coaching staff. He was looking for a fresh start in Bloomington, but injured his hand on IU’s first drive of a Week 2 win over Indiana State.
He did get an opportunity to flash some of the same potential he showed as a freshman over IU’s final four games. He was targeted 32 times during that stretch — he had 20 catches for 247 yards — and gave the Hoosiers a powerful one-two punch playing alongside Donaven McCulley.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder still hasn’t played more than 400 snaps in a single-season.
He will be competing for playing time this year with a bunch of newcomers that IU’s staff added out of the transfer portal including Elijah Sarratt (James Madison), Myles Price (Texas Tech), Ke’Shawn Williams (Wake Forest) and Miles Cross (Ohio).
Cignetti made it clear that there’s still time for receivers both new and old to make an impression during fall camp.
“We got to utilize them and the one good thing is that we can absorb an injury or two,” Cignetti said. “I’m still looking for a couple guys to step up and separate themselves from the rest. That would be a nice thing.”
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana football: Can E.J. Williams finally have a breakout season?
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