Justin Williams

Physical Profile

Compact, muscular build at 5-11 that has grown from roughly 190 pounds as a junior to 199 on Florida's roster. Verified testing includes a 4.48 forty, 1.65 ten-yard split, 20.4 mph max recorded speed, and a 28.2-inch vertical, with a 72.5-inch wingspan that is below average for a receiver. The profile is dense and explosive laterally rather than long and vertical, which fits a slot or backfield-flex role far better than an outside X, and the added mass supports his ability to absorb contact as a ball carrier.

Play Style

A 'new-age offensive weapon' rather than a traditional wideout. On film he is a physical, downhill mover who plays with a running back's pad level and vision but a receiver's hands. He is at his best on quick-game concepts, screens, option routes, and touches manufactured in space where his plant-and-go quickness shows, and he can be handed the ball from the backfield without changing personnel. He tracks the deep ball well for his size but does not play above the rim. Blocking effort and physicality on the perimeter stand out for the position.

Strengths

• Elite two-way production: 108 carries for 1,023 yards (9.5 ypc) and 16 TD plus 85 catches for 1,473 yards (17.3 ypc) and 13 TD as a junior; 67 catches for 1,117 yards and 12 TD plus 547 rushing yards and 9 TD as a senior, earning 2024 SI Florida HS Offensive Player of the Year.
• Natural hands and ball tracking in traffic, with 247Sports likening his ability to attack the ball outside his frame despite average height to A.J. Brown; he catches through contact and does not body-catch.
• Sudden short-area quickness with a strong plant foot and gap recognition, letting him win after the catch and as a runner; he was used at single-back, split-backfield, X, Z, Wildcat QB, and return specialist.
• Competitive toughness and willingness as a run blocker, plus versatility that lets a staff get him on the field in multiple packages without scheme-specific limitations.

Areas to Improve

• Below-average wingspan and a modest 28-inch vertical limit his contested-catch radius on vertical routes, so he must win with separation and timing rather than size.
• Limited reps against press coverage and little true slot experience in high school; his route tree from the inside needs to be built at Florida.
• Currently not on Florida's two-deep for the 2026 opener against FAU, so he needs to earn a special-teams role and a defined package to see early snaps.

College Projection

Projects as a slot receiver and gadget/RB-flex piece under Florida's new staff, in the same mold the Gators used for Eugene Wilson III and Vernell Brown III. Year one (2026) should be special teams and a situational package, with meaningful rotational snaps in 2027 and a starting slot role by 2028 if his route tree develops. His versatility gives him a second path as a three-down, pass-catching running back if the receiver room stays crowded. Florida's coaching change during his recruitment adds some uncertainty to how he is deployed, but he stayed committed and helped hold the class together.

NFL Outlook

247Sports projects a Day 3 (rounds 4-7) draft profile with LeQuint Allen (Jacksonville) as the comparable. His size and wingspan cap his ceiling as a pure receiver, so his NFL case rests on being a productive, dual-role slot/back who can return kicks. Sustained SEC production and verified speed in the 4.4s would put him firmly on Day 3 boards.

Best Fit

A spread or pro-spread offense that manufactures touches for a hybrid slot/back: jet motion, screens, option routes from the slot, and occasional backfield alignments. He is a poor fit as an isolated outside X in a vertical passing game. Florida's scheme under Billy Gonzales-style receiver usage is a reasonable match, and any RPO-heavy attack that values run-after-catch and blocking from its slot would maximize him.