Star wide receiver Antonio Williams breaks news about his Clemson future
Clemson veteran wide receiver Antonio Williams won’t return for another year of college football and will instead move on to the 2026 NFL Draft.
Williams revealed his decision to reporters after Saturday’s 45-10 win over Furman at Memorial Stadium.
Williams, a redshirt junior, was honored during Clemson’s senior day ceremony Saturday. He described the experience as his “last time” running down the hill.
The playmaker from the Columbia area still has one year of college eligibility left. He took a medical redshirt after injuries derailed his 2023 season.
But Williams is off to the league. After openly volunteering that Saturday was his “last time” running down the hill, he was directly asked: Is there any chance you’ll use your last year of eligibility?
“No sir,” Williams said.
Williams was projected as a 2026 first-round pick in the offseason. His draft value may have slipped a bit, but the Irmo native and Dutch Fork High School graduate is widely a considered a top three or four rounds NFL prospect.
Williams (5-11, 190) had two catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns vs. Furman on Saturday. He has 48 catches for 538 yards and four touchdowns in eight games for the Tigers (6-6) this season.
The slot receiver, who had 904 receiving yards last year, sits at No. 12 on Clemson’s all-time receiving yardage list after Saturday’s game with 2,270 yards. He is also tied for fourth in all-time touchdown catches (21) and is one of only five players in program history to catch at least 200 passes.
Williams is also a capable punt returner (he had a 30-yard return vs. Furman on Saturday) and has excelled in spot moments as a rusher and trick-play quarterback at Clemson. He has nearly 3,000 career all-purpose yards.
Dabo says Williams is ‘ready’ for pro ball
Given that Williams went through senior day ceremonies Saturday (and was facing an NFL decision last offseason), it’s not a big surprise to hear he’s going pro and not using his fifth year of eligibility.
But it was surprising for Williams to reveal that decision outright to the media in a spot where most players would defer comment until their season is over.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he’s long expected Williams to leave for the NFL after the 2025 season and raved about the receiver’s pro potential.
“He’s ready,” Swinney said of Williams. “Somebody’s gonna get a great one. He’s as good as we’ve ever had. He’s different. ... But he’s as good as any of them.”
Swinney said he was “really hard” on Williams when he was a freshman because he knew the receiver could do great things in his college career. He now readily puts Williams in the same category of Tiger greats Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Williams, Tee Higgins and Hunter Renfrow.
“He won’t wait long to hear his name called,” Swinney said of Williams.
This story was originally published November 22, 2025 at 8:59 PM.
