Colorado looks set to get a familiar weapon back just as fall camp opens.
Joseph Williams, who spent the spring rehabbing from injury, appears on track to return after a positive exchange with Deion Sanders this week. The moment was filmed by Darius Sanders and posted to his YouTube channel, with Williams answering, “Of course. I couldn’t miss this,” when asked about being there.
That’s the kind of news Colorado wanted heading into camp, especially after Williams was seen on crutches this week and briefly raised concern. Even so, the expectation around the program had been that he would be ready when the Buffaloes opened fall camp, and everything still points that way.
Williams missed spring ball while recovering, but his value to the offense is hard to miss. Last season, he finished second on the team with 37 catches for 489 yards and four touchdowns, then picked up honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition.
At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, he gives Colorado size on the outside and a dependable option in the kinds of situations that can swing games - third downs, red-zone snaps and contested catches. That profile matters even more with an offense expected to lean on the passing game again in 2026.
He also brings continuity to a receiver room that has added new faces. Williams is one of the few pass-catchers who already knows what this offense asks, and that familiarity should count when roles start getting sorted out in camp.
His injury came late in the 2025 season, and he sat out Colorado’s final game before later having surgery. Spring practice passed him by, but the recovery timeline never seemed to shift much, and his presence at practice suggests the plan remains intact.
For Colorado, the timing couldn’t be much better. Fall camp is where depth charts start to take shape, and Williams should be right in the middle of that conversation if he stays healthy. The Buffs have enough receiver talent to get by without him, but they’re a better team with him in the mix.
That’s especially true for quarterback Julian Lewis, who gets a familiar target back in the fold. Colorado opens the season Sept. 3 against Georgia Tech, and Williams looks like he should be ready when it matters.
In Other News...
Deion Sanders Just Drew A Hard Line For Potential Buffs Returners
Deion Sanders opened the door a crack this week on a possible path back for some former Colorado players from the 2022 recruiting class after a recent eligibility ruling, but he made it clear the situation is not being treated like a blanket reunion. Any return would still have to pass both athletic and academic standards, which keeps this from being a simple matter of a player showing up and reclaiming a spot.
Sanders also made it plain that not everyone from that class is even in the conversation, with some former Buffs already ruled out by the circumstances of how they left and by academic issues. He further noted that the Colorado players from the 2022 JUCO class are not part of this discussion at all, leaving the focus on a narrower group and a process that still has several gates before anyone is welcomed back. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado May Have An Early Receiver Problem It Cant Ignore
Danny Scuderos early start with Colorado has already hit a pause, and that matters because the Buffaloes have been trying to sort out their receiver room in the opening days of fall camp. The former San Jose State wideout was not visible in Colorados first practice videos, and his absence has raised questions after a social media post showed him on crutches. The team has not offered an official update on the injury, leaving the situation unclear as camp continues.
In the meantime, other pass catchers have taken advantage of the extra reps. Kam Perry and Joseph Williams have both stood out in early practices, which gives Colorado some help while the staff waits for more clarity on Scudero. Still, for a group trying to build depth and chemistry quickly, any setback at receiver is worth watching closely, especially this early in camp. [Read more 🡒]