Wesley Williams

Early life

Williams was born on September 22, 2004, and grew up in Prince William County, Virginia. His father played college basketball, while his cousin and uncle played college football. In sixth grade, he first played football, and he continued while attending Battlefield High School in Haymarket. At Battlefield, he played as a defensive end and was a starter all four years, posting 105 tackles, 32 tackles-for-loss (TFLs) and 13.5 sacks as a senior while being named first-team all-state and the Class 6 Region B Defensive Player of the Year. That year, Williams helped them to the Class 6 state semifinals and their first regional championship in 10 years. During high school, he had a grade-point average (GPA) of 4.2 and won the Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Award, given to "the nation's top African-American high school scholar-athlete". Williams, a three-star recruit, committed to play college football for the Duke Blue Devils.

College career

Williams redshirted and appeared in one game for Duke as a true freshman in 2022. The next year, he appeared in 13 games, three as a starter, and posted 39 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks and two blocked field goals, both of which were in the same game. As a redshirt sophomore in 2024, Williams posted a team-leading 7.5 sacks along with 48 tackles, 13.5 TFLs and two blocked kicks in 12 games started, earning honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors. He served as team captain in 2025 and totaled 44 tackles, 9.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks and a blocked field goal in 14 starts, earning honorable mention All-ACC honors a second time. Williams was named Duke's defensive MVP for the 2025 season. He decided to forgo an extra season of eligibility and declared for the 2026 NFL draft. He was invited to the 2026 East–West Shrine Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine.