Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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2024 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Before starting his senior season, Reel Analytics, a sports technology and data company that analyzes video to measure athleticism, clocked Williams at 22.0 miles per hour during one of his junior season games. When he is ready, Williams will surely add a much-needed speed ele- ment to the Notre Dame offense. "Cam is a freak of a physical specimen," Aister said. "The way he's put together with his athleticism and speed … Cam can offer a level of explosiveness to that wide receiver corps. His speed, his size, his physicality show up when he gets a ball in his hands. "Defenses have to adjust to make sure they have somebody over the top on him. … Defenses schemed him all year long. He still had catches, big games and TDs." Aister also noted that Williams played various roles for Glenbard South last sea- son. He was featured in multiple positions on offense, which included rushing at- tempts. He also returned kicks and played defensive back. "That experience only helps him going into Notre Dame when the complexity grows, the offense grows and his respon- sibility grows," Aister said. "He's already had that experience of being moved all over the field and being expected to do all these different things. "Now he's just doing it where other guys on the field can complement him." Still, replicating his success from the high school ranks in college will not come easy. Like most freshmen, Williams has to make technical strides to compete at the next level. He has focused on sharpening his skill set since arriving on campus. "In high school, I was able to get away with stuff," Williams said. "I know here, details are a big thing. I know I need work as a route runner. It's easy to just run straight as fast as you can and catch the ball. … I've already been working and get- ting better at that." Williams accepted his prospect profile long ago. It has been his physical one that has taken some getting used to. "Being of a larger frame, I tend to watch smaller receivers to see how quickly and how much easier they're able to navigate themselves," he said. "I've seen big guys do it, too. I think it's just a matter of being cleaner and crisper. "I tend to round a lot of routes just be- cause of my frame. I don't know how to use it yet. That's just the two behind it. So it's little stuff, but it's really big stuff." ADJUSTING TO COLLEGE LIFE Williams is part of a record Notre Dame early enrollment football recruiting class that features 15 players, the most since the university began welcoming freshman mid-year enrollees in 2006. Before arriving at Notre Dame as a col- lege student, Williams reported 16 college recruiting visits to the school. Finding his way around campus has been easy; the most challenging part has been the effort each destination requires. "I know for sure here, it's work," he said. "It's definitely not a walk in the park. Now, I have to be 100 percent in the weight room and then walk my way to class and be 100 percent there. "It's has been kind of like a shock but manageable." Freeman brought Brown aboard to help Williams and the rest of the program's wide receivers excel at more than increas- ing their total receptions. It will take more than catching passes to redefine the Irish receivers' impact on the offense. Williams knows the production at the position needs improvement and is com- mitted to helping change it. "I feel like I can be a part of it," he said. "I can contribute to what we're doing here." ✦ CAM WILLIAMS WIDE RECEIVER 6-2 ∙ 191 GLENBARD SOUTH H.S. GLEN ELLYN, ILL. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 64 10 3 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 47 11 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 46 10 2 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 81 16 3 STATISTICS • Finished his prep career with 121 receptions for 2,602 yards and 42 touchdowns, 38 carries for 598 yards and 7 scores, and 5 return touchdowns. • Is the Glenbard South record holder in career receptions, average yards per catch (21.5), receiving yards, career touchdowns (54), most points scored in a career (324), touchdowns in a game (5) and receiv- ing yards in a game (193). • Caught 37 passes for 909 yards and 12 touch- downs in 11 games as a senior. Added 468 yards and 6 scores on the ground. Was also a defensive contributor with 26 tackles (12 solo), 2 stops for loss, 2 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery. Returned 10 kicks for 478 yards and 2 scores, and 10 punts for 283 yards and 1 touchdown. • Hauled in 47 catches for 1,018 yards and 13 touchdowns, plus added 98 yards and a score on 13 rushing attempts in 10 games as a junior. • Emerged as a sophomore to lead the team in receiving with 43 receptions for 769 yards and 11 touchdowns. NOTABLE • Selected to participate in the 2024 All-Amer- ican Bowl. • Named to the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association 5A All-State team in 2023. • Tabbed as the Red Grange Player of the Year (given to the player in DuPage County who best dem- onstrates a combination of athletic skill, sportsman- ship and scholastic ability) and the DuPage County Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. • Earned all-conference honors from 2021-23 and DuPage Daily Herald All-Area accolades in 2022-23. • Selected as the Upstate Eight 2022 Offensive Player of the Year. • Also lettered twice in track and recorded a 24- foot, 3.75-inch long jump — the best mark in Illinois in spring 2023. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Fighting Irish on June 29, 2023. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January. • Also held offers from Cincinnati, Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin. • Recruited by former wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey and current wide receivers coach Mike Brown. • Visited Notre Dame 16 times, including his official visit on June 9, 2023. 2024 PROJECTION • Could contribute to the passing game as a deep- threat wide receiver or in the run game on receiver sweeps. THEY SAID IT Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman: "The thing that attracted us to Cam was his speed. We want to continue to enhance our speed on the out- side on both sides of the ball. "That was the thing with Cam. We saw him, multi- ple times, run 4.4s [in the 40-yard dash]. We had him in camp. We had him live. He is a tremendous player from Chicago. And we have to make sure that the best players in Chicago that fit this place continue to come to Notre Dame. That was the case with Cam." On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "He's continued to show that he's one of the top receivers in the country in an extremely strong receiver 2024 class. In other cycles, he'd be ranked even higher. We love what Cam has done as a senior. He has outstanding play speed; he's moving at a different speed than everyone else on the field. He doesn't play the best competition, but he's dominat- ing, as you'd expect. "Williams has been outstanding after the catch. He has a good combination of build and speed. There are so many different things he can do. He brings a lot to the table with his multi-faceted skill set." BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2024 65