CU lands former five-star recruit in transfer portal

Since he arrived in Boulder in 2022, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders had told recruits in the college football world that he’s not hard to find as he’s brought a plethora of elite talent to town in his two seasons as the head coach for CU football.

After losing former five-star recruit Travis Hunter to the NFL Draft, Prime filled the hole left behind with another former five-star.

BREAKING: Florida State transfer WR Hykeem Williams has Committed to Colorado, he tells @on3sports

The 6’3 215 WR was ranked as the No. 4 WR in the ‘23 Class (per On3 Industry)

2 years of eligibility lefthttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/41oJTutOYr

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 29, 2025

Williams played for the Florida State Seminoles for two seasons, and was a backup for the 2023 team that went 13-0 and was snubbed from the final four-team College Football Playoff. He recorded 21 receptions for 267 yards and two touchdowns in two seasons.

In 2024, he recorded a catch in eight different games, with his best performance coming against No. 15 Clemson (four catches, 53 yards). He was in a poor position all year as he was on a weak roster that had the fourth-worse offense in the entire country.

He has battled a handful of injuries in his two seasons, including an ankle sprain, a hamstring strain and a broken thumb. He was never able to find his footing with the Seminoles, and after they had the most disappointing season in the country in 2024, he decided to look elsewhere.

Williams was the 24th-highest rated high school recruit in the 2023 class, and the fourth-highest rated wide receiver with a grade of 98/100. Now, he is rated as a four-star recruit in the portal after not having much opportunity to perform at Florida State (90/100 grade).

While Williams is being in as a potential replacement for the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, the two actually have a history.

This Hykeem Williams – Travis Hunter beef 🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/sp4UlWt2yP

— Barstool Colorado (@CUBarstool) December 22, 2022

Williams seemed to be skeptical of Prime bringing his ‘Louis’ luggage to Boulder back when he was a recruit in 2022. Now, after CU football has drastically improved while Florida State has drastically declined, the script has been flipped.

Williams is listed at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds on the roster, which would give offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur a big body to target on the outside in the wake of Will Sheppard. While the hamstring and ankle injuries have limited his physical capabilities in recent years, he’s shown that when healthy, he has an elite combination of size and speed.

WATCH: @FSUFootball WR Hakeem Williams (@tha_boikeem) reached a max speed of 20.0 mph on this 44-yard touchdown. #ReelSpeed #NoleFamily

🎥: @ESPNCFB pic.twitter.com/IwGCcPgAIE

— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) October 18, 2023

Williams joins a crowded receiver room in Boulder with the likes of Drelon Miller, Quentin Gibson, Joseph Williams and more, but this addition is a good one for Coach Prime and Colorado.

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