There are times when Joseph Williams gets together with his receiver and quarterback teammates and still has that instinct to throw the ball.
“I still miss playing quarterback, because it’s super fun,” he said.
The Colorado sophomore, however, has grown to love catching the ball and is eager to bust loose in his first year with the Buffaloes.
“A lot,” Williams said when asked how much he enjoys being a receiver. “You get the reality of being the superhero, and it’s one of the best things in the world to be a receiver and catch touchdowns, especially in front of Colorado (fans).”
A transfer this offseason from Tulsa, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Williams is one of the leading candidates for a starting role with the Buffaloes, just two years after making a position switch.
Growing up, Williams played quarterback at Mansfield Summit High School in Arlington, Texas, but wasn’t getting much attention from college recruiters.
“Going into my senior year, I had no offers, and a lot of coaches that would come up to talk to me, they would say I’m more of an athlete than a traditional quarterback,” Williams said.
Recruiters suggested he try other positions, in addition to quarterback, to display his versatility.
“As the season went on, I almost completely went away from quarterback and I was just receiver and safety the whole time,” he said.
By October of that year, the scholarship offers starting rolling in, but from FCS and non-Power Four conference FBS schools. The only exceptions were offers from Oregon State and Washington State, but those schools were about to be left behind in the dismantled Pac-12.
As a senior in high school, Williams caught 38 passes for 666 yards and 12 touchdowns and wound up signing with Tulsa. That Power Four dream was always in his mind, though.
“I always felt I was a player who could play in the Power Four, but I knew I wasn’t ready for it at the time, because it was a new position for me,” he said. “I had to add the extra little things that receivers need to do, like being able to run routes, finishing and stuff like that. I knew I had to take a year to be able to learn all those things before I could come play in a Power Four conference.”
Williams proved to be a quick study, hauling in 30 receptions for 588 yards and five touchdowns at Tulsa in 2024, earning American Athletic Conference freshman of the year honors.
Seeking an opportunity to test himself and get even better, Williams entered the transfer portal. He initially committed to Utah, but just a few days later changed his mind and signed with CU to play for Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Deion Sanders.
“Coach Prime was a big deciding factor,” Williams said in his decision. “There’s a couple things he said to me, that just stuck with me. Other schools I went to, they were almost to the point they were trying to give me whatever I wanted. But Coach Prime, one thing that stuck with me, he told me that I have to earn everything I get here.
“I told myself, ‘I need to go here. I want to play in the NFL. I don’t need no type of handouts. I want to earn everything I get.’ Playing for Coach Prime, that’s just something that he adds for me.”
Williams knew CU was sending four receivers from the 2024 team to the NFL, and he also knew the room in 2025 would be talented and competitive.
“I already knew we had one of the best rooms in the Big 12,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence in myself. I feel I will play a lot this year, but I also feel like everybody else in the room is gonna play a lot because of how talented we are. … It helps push me to get better each and every day.”
Since converting to receiver, Williams has continued to get better and he has an opportunity to make a big impact on a rebuilt Buffs offense.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “We have a really good team, so I’m super excited to see how well we do this year.”
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