Florida State’s linebacker room may be taking another hit at the worst possible time.
True freshman Izayia Williams appears to have undergone a procedure on his left knee, according to what he posted on Instagram. In the video, Williams is shown wearing a brace on the leg, and a separate clip from Chris Jones showed him resting the injured leg on a couch with crutches nearby.
That left knee is the same one Williams injured last summer when he tore his ACL and shut down his senior season before it even started. He was still working back from that injury when he got to Florida State and missed spring practice, though the Seminoles had cleared him by the time fall camp opened.
“Obviously, Izayia came in [injured]. He's fully cleared,” Norvell said leading up to camp.
“He definitely looks the part. I'm excited to see him out in practice.
He'll be ready to go.”
Williams’ path back hasn’t been smooth. He was banged up in Florida State’s preseason scrimmage, but he still entered the first two games listed as Blake Nichelson’s primary backup.
He made his first appearance in the Seminoles’ 34-17 win over New Mexico State, logging 7 defensive snaps and 12 on special teams without recording a stat. In Monday night’s loss to SMU, he was used only on special teams and played 6 snaps.
The timing makes this one sting even more for Florida State, which is already dealing with injuries to several members of the two-deep. Nichelson, safety K.J. Kirkland, wide receiver Tae'Shaun Gelsy, and wide receiver Devin Carter all missed the SMU game.
Norvell won’t have a chance to address Williams’ situation until his next media availability on Monday, but it’s fair to say this could be a significant loss for the Seminoles. It also opens the door to questions about whether Williams was ever truly ready to be pushed this hard after such a major injury.
That’s the frustrating part here: Williams is a gifted young player with plenty of upside, but health has kept getting in the way. Last year, he was on the fringe of becoming a five-star prospect, and now he’s fighting just to stay on the field.
At Tavares High School, Williams put together a monster junior season with 125 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception. He also carried the ball 23 times for 423 yards and scored 10 total touchdowns on offense.
His athletic profile went well beyond football. On the track, Williams posted personal bests of 11.05 in the 100-meter and 22.96 in the 200-meter, and he was a two-time regional qualifier in the long jump.
Florida State returns to action against Alabama on Saturday, September 19. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
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