‘We wanted him back; he wanted to come back’: Mutual interest brings Indiana football, EJ Williams back together for 2025 season

It has been an up and down past few months — and years — for Indiana football wide receiver EJ Williams. After being the second-leading receiver for IU in 2023, he returned with high expectations last year but an injury in the summer and fall set him back, and down the depth chart. After four games, he decided to shut his season down and announce his intention to enter the transfer portal.

After a few months, however, he announced he would be withdrawing from the portal and returning to Indiana.

IU head coach Curt Cignetti detailed some of the discussions between he and Williams over the course of the past few months.

“E.J. Williams who had — E.J. wanted to redshirt after his fourth game. And like I said to him, ‘I decide who redshirts’. If you can help the team, then that’s what everybody is here to do,” Cignetti said on Wednesday. “And he had dreams of playing in the league. It was his last year. So his only recourse was to go into the portal.”

Williams had just two catches for 49 yards last season before entering the portal. And, it was well documented throughout fall camp the injury issues that he had.

“Still waiting to get him on the field,” Cignetti told reporters during fall camp. “He’s practiced three times since I’ve been here (in the spring). Pulled a little hammy the last week of summer conditioning. So hope to get him back. Keep him on the field. The best ability is availability. You got to stay on the field, and that’s been his biggest nemesis.”

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Coming into 2024, injuries were the one thing that limited Williams’ ability and effectiveness on the field. The 6-foot-4 receiver was limited to just seven games in 2023 due to injuries but played arguably the best stretch of football of his collegiate career over the last month of the year. Over the final four games of 2023, he caught 20 passes for 247 yards. 

So when Williams and Cignetti got back together after the season ended, there was clear mutual interest that led the two back together.

“About mid-December we got together. We wanted him back; he wanted to come back,” Cignetti said. “So that was another win (in the portal) for us as well, another guy that had started in ’23, the year before I got here. So I think it says a lot about what went on last year that guys who had left on the front end and then returned.”

Williams was a consensus top-70 recruit in the class of 2020 — so the talent is there. And based on the success that numerous receivers had last year for Indiana football, there is never too much wealth at the position in a Curt Cignetti and Mike Shanahan offense.

Williams joins a group that includes returners Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper, and transfer including Tyler Morris (Michigan) and Makai Jackson (Appalachian State).

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