As Ohio State prepared for its 2024 preseason camp, Williams announced his retirement from football on Instagram. In his post, he shared that he had undergone a total of four knee surgeries and three shoulder surgeries over the past five years.
A highly touted four-star recruit from the 2020 class, Williams joined Ohio State with the expectation of making a significant impact on the Buckeyes’ defense. However, he faced numerous setbacks, beginning with a torn ACL during preseason camp before his freshman year.
In 2021, Williams played as a backup safety, amassing 28 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, and one pass deflection. He was named team captain before the 2022 season, but his season was abruptly ended by a shoulder injury. He transitioned to linebacker in the offseason, aiming to make a difference at the second level of the defense, but suffered another torn ACL during preseason camp.
Williams did not participate in the spring practices this year as he continued to recover and was not expected to have a significant role in the upcoming season. Despite expressing a desire to continue playing last August, he chose to retire after another major injury. Williams, who graduated from Ohio State in 2023 with a degree in communications, decided it was time to start a new chapter.
His retirement leaves Ohio State with 80 known scholarship players for the 2024 season. The remaining five scholarships are anticipated to be allocated to walk-ons, although the specifics have not been announced.
The Buckeyes now have seven linebackers on scholarship for 2024: Cody Simon, Sonny Styles, C.J. Hicks, Gabe Powers, Arvell Reese, Payton Pierce, and Garrett Stover.
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