Wide receiver EJ Williams no longer with the IU football program

IU football senior wideout EJ Williams is no longer with the program, a source confirmed to HoosierIllustrated.com. The initial report was made by 247Sports’ Jared Kelly.

Williams, a fifth-year senior, was in his final year of eligibility. He had just two receptions for 49 yards this season. However, he appeared in just four games maintaining his ability to redshirt this year.

The 6-foot-4 receiver was limited to just seven games in 2023 due to injuries. But, he played arguably the best stretch of football of his collegiate career over the last month of the year. Over the final four games, he caught 20 passes for 247 yards. 

Williams finished last season with 23 receptions for 281 yards.

But, coming into the fall, injuries kept Cignetti off the field for a large portion of the offseason.

“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.”

This is the second IU football wide receiver to leave the program mid year. He joins Donaven McCulley, who entered the transfer portal earlier this month.

Williams and McCulley were two of the top receivers for Indiana a season ago, but after the additions of Elijah Sarratt, Myles Price, Ke’Shawn Williams and Miles Cross this offseason, both players fell down the depth chart. Injuries to both throughout the offseason or early stages of the season set them back.

Williams caught 40 receptions for 442 yards and two touchdowns across three seasons with Clemson. He was a consensus top-70 recruit in the country in the class of 2020.

Indiana is 7-0 and ranked No. 13 overall in the AP Poll. The Hoosiers face Washington this weekend, while also hosting ESPN’s College GameDay.

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