Williams led OSU linemen with 53 tackles and tied Jack Sawyer for the team lead with 10 tackles for loss.
In Big Ten games, Williams was ninth in the conference with seven tackles for loss and made all-conference second team.
He is the first OSU junior to publicly confirm he is not entering the 2024 NFL Draft, but many members of the class of 2021 indicated they were at least strongly considering it prior to the Cotton Bowl loss last week.
Sawyer said he was “more than likely” returning while standout defensive backs Denzel Burke and Jordan Hancock also said they were part of a group entertaining the idea.
Burke plans to announce his decision Jan. 10.
Other candidates to go pro early include receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, running back TreVeyon Henderson, left guard Donovan Jackson and defensive lineman J.T. Tuimoloau.
All of them played in the Cotton Bowl except Harrison, who won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver and is widely considered one of the top five prospects in the draft if he enters.
Mike Hall Jr., a junior who shared first-team defensive tackle snaps with Williams and redshirt junior Ty Hamilton, is going pro early, as is fourth-year junior running back Miyan Williams.
A handful of seniors could also return because of the NCAA’s decision to grant an extra year of eligibility to players who played in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.
So far, Cody Simon has announced he will do that while fellow linebacker Steele Chambers announced he will not.
The deadline for underclassmen to notify the NFL they are entering the draft is Jan. 15.
About the Author
