Jameson Williams was a four-star prospect from St. Louis, Missouri. In high school, he set a state record in the 300-meter hurdles and won two state track titles. He committed to Ohio State, but was muted by the other talented receivers on the roster. For two straight seasons, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jeremy Ruckert prevented Williams from breaking out. However, he did have productive seasons, posting 112 receiving yards as a freshman and another 154 in 2020. Seeing the writing on the wall with freshman talent Jaxon Smith-Njigba joining the roster in 2020, Williams transferred to Alabama.
Initially many felt that Williams would fall victim to competition at the receiver position in the form of John Metchie. However, the 2021 campaign proved to be Williams’ breakout season. He commanded a 20.67-percent Target Share and posted over 1,500 receiving yards over 15 games. While you might think his 19.9 (99th-percentile) college yards per reception indicated that he was a deep threat, you’d be wrong. Jameson accumulated a large part of his yardage after the catch, while eluding defenders. Then in the National Championship game against Georgia, Williams tore his ACL and did not test at the combine.
WIlliams was still selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Still recovering from injury, Williams played very limited snaps in six contests to end his rookie season. He was utilized more heavily during the Lions' playoff season in 2023, lining up on 53.6-percent of snaps. He earned just a 9.8-percent Target Share, however, with a 15.6 (No. 5) ADOT.
