STANFORD — At USC, it was the frustration of not getting playing time in a stacked receiver room. At Wisconsin, it was the instability that comes when a team goes through four quarterbacks in two seasons and the offense struggles to find rhythm.
So by the time CJ Williams got to Stanford for his senior season, he had learned the importance of patience.
“Don’t ride the wave,” the Mission Viejo native and Mater Dei product said. “The situation is never going to be perfect or ideal. Still love the game of football and be grateful for being out there.”
That mindset has become the foundation for one of the most remarkable midseason turnarounds in college football.
Williams’ first three games at Stanford offered little hint of what was coming. By the end of Week 3 — a one-catch, one-yard day against Boston College — he seemed stuck in the same pattern that defined his previous stops: waiting for opportunity in an offense that hadn’t quite clicked.
Then everything changed.
After collecting just eight catches for 62 yards in Stanford’s first three games, Williams has transformed into one of the most productive receivers in the nation. He became the first Stanford receiver this century to record three consecutive 100-yard games, racking up 27 receptions during the stretch.
Now, as Stanford prepares to host Florida State on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. on ESPN), Williams has the chance to join Troy Walters (1999) and DeRonnie Pitts (1998) as the only players in school history with four straight 100-yard receiving games.
It wouldn’t have happened if the slow start had shaken his confidence.
Interim coach Frank Reich installed a pro-style offense during spring practice after the sudden firing of Troy Taylor. Quarterback Ben Gulbranson transferred from Oregon State after spring practice had concluded. And the receiving room didn’t include anyone who had caught a pass at Stanford last season. Williams was one of the new faces, arriving in the Bay Area after spending the previous two seasons at Wisconsin, where he had 31 receptions for 396 yards and two touchdowns.
“Wide receiver is one of those positions where everything has to go right,” said Williams, who appeared in 11 games with USC as a freshman in 2022 but had just four receptions. “The offensive line has to block, the quarterback has to make the right reads, the play call has to be perfect for the defense you’re facing. So when it all clicks, it’s really rewarding — not just for you, but for the whole offense.”
In the first two games – losses to Hawaii and BYU – Gulbranson threw for a combined 251 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.
Though Williams had his least productive game in Week 3 against Boston College — one catch for one yard — Stanford’s offense showed signs of life in the 30-20 win over the Eagles.
Since then, the only Power 4 wide receiver with more receptions than Williams’s 27 is Makai Lemon of USC (28). He is also second in the ACC in receiving yards (342) during that span.
But Williams’ surge has come during a tough stretch for Stanford (2-4, 1-2 ACC), which has dropped two of its last three games, including a blowout loss to Virginia and a 34-10 loss at SMU last weekend.
When he found out afterward that he’d made Stanford history with his third straight 100-yard game, the sophomore appreciated the milestone — briefly.
“It was a cool moment for sure,” Williams said. “But obviously not too happy in the moment coming off a loss. Especially a game I think we should have won, that was a lot more competitive than the scoreboard showed.”
Saturday’s matchup with Florida State (3-3, 0-3) will be a chance for Williams to extend his streak and for Stanford to prove it can hang with one of college football’s elite programs, albeit one with eight straight ACC losses.
“A lot of NFL-caliber guys and great teams have been through there,” Williams said. “Everybody knows what Florida State is about. It’s cool to get the opportunity to play those guys — a team we all grew up watching.”
Williams faced FSU defensive coordinator Tony White last year when Williams was at Wisconsin and White held the same position at Nebraska. The Cardinal also has the advantage of playing at Stanford Stadium, where it is 2-0 this season, in a game that will kick off at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time.
“As much as we love playing in front of hostile environments, it’s always good to stay on the West Coast and to enjoy our bed for an extra night and play in front of our fans and our family,” Williams said.
Whether or not the streak continues Saturday night, Williams will be ready for whatever the next wave brings.