Clemson football: Tigers most likely to leave early for the NFL

10. EJ Williams – Wide Receiver, JR

• 33 receptions
• 372 receiving yards
• 2 touchdowns

The perception of Clemson’s wide receiver room going into the 2020 season was that it was quite deep, but injuries took their toll. As players exited the lineup, Williams began to flash the potential many had expected.

The pendulum swung in 2021. It was Williams who was bit by the injury bug, and his season never really got going. Even his last attempt to play in the Cheez-It Bowl was thwarted when he had to enter COVID protocols. He was clearly frustrated.

https://twitter.com/_ejda1/status/1471089040137015298?s=21&t=gDNw2TtB1U4OeedTfc_K0Q

He missed spring training, but several of the wide receivers were out by the time the spring game came around, so there wasn’t much shifting of the depth chart post-spring.

Williams’ stat sheet doesn’t jump out right now, but that could change quickly with a good 2022 campaign. He will have to put in the work – there are several receivers competing for playing time, including guys like Beaux & Dacari Collins, who both earned praise when more experienced receivers like Williams missed time in 2021.  If he turns his frustrations into motivations, a bounce-back 2022 could be in the works.