Quacking the Roster: DB Carl Williams IV

Q: What injury did Carl Williams IV suffer during the 2024 season?

Carl Williams IV suffered a meniscus injury that limited his playtime during the 2024 season.

Q: Why did Carl Williams IV enter the transfer portal?

Carl Williams IV entered the transfer portal after deciding to take a medical redshirt due to ongoing issues with his knee injury.

Q: What position will Carl Williams IV play at Oregon?

Carl Williams IV is expected to play the nickel position at Oregon, similar to his role at Baylor.

Q: How did Carl Williams IV perform during his freshman season at Baylor?

During his freshman season at Baylor, Carl Williams IV played in all 12 regular games and was part of a rotation at cornerback before moving to nickel corner.

Dec 31, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Baylor Bears safety Carl Williams IV (15) attempts to tackle LSU Tigers wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. (3) during the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images Carl Williams IV signed with Baylor in 2023 as a high 3-star (0.8803) corner having played both ways in high school. Despite not being a blue chip prospect, he saw snaps during meaningful time as soon as week 1 of his true freshman season. He played in all 12 regular games during 2023, beginning as part of a four-man rotation at outside corner before moving to his permanent spot at nickel corner in week 6 against Texas Tech. Williams was the starter at nickel to begin his true sophomore season in 2024, but suffered an injury to his miniscus that he struggled with throughout the year. He was limited to only seven games during the regular season but returned for the bowl game. The injury continued to bother Williams throughout the off season heading into 2025. He was medically cleared to play in week 2 against SMU but was only on the field for a total of five plays during the entire game. After this he elected to take a medical redshirt, and announced his intention to enter the transfer portal in January. Less than a week after officially entering the portal he committed to . Williams’ background is quite similar to 2025 starting nickel/STAR safety ’s before he arrived at Oregon. Both had experience at outside corner, inside corner, and deep safety as well as losing a year to a serious injury before becoming . Unlike Canady though, the film I had on Williams is all from before he took his medical redshirt. As such, I cannot predict exactly what his abilities will be once he returns to the field. I suspect the Ducks’ staff did quite a bit of work checking on his health before offering him a roster spot, but also hedged their bets by taking from Ohio State as a developmental player and backup as well. I’m hopeful Williams will be full go for the Spring game this Saturday so I can compare his athleticism to his previous tape. Assuming he is fully recovered, his experience in a very similar role at Baylor would seem to put him in contention for Oregon’s starting nickel role in the Fall. Though he was listed as a cornerback coming out of high school and played outside in the first part of his freshman season, the Bears staff saw Williams talents were more suited to the nickel position. This meant he lined up over receivers in the slot or the #2 (inside) position depending on the offenses’ alignment. From here he could most often do what the film showed he did best: read the play in front of him and attack the ball carrier. I found his ability to properly diagnose what the defense was doing very impressive for an underclassman. He doesn’t have elite foot speed, but accelerated well when breaking on the ball. Below I’ve compiled a of clips from Williams’ true freshman and sophomore seasons show him successfully diagnosing and reacting to passing plays. (Reminder: you can click on the gear icon in the upper right of the video to adjust the play speed.)