The Longhorns are looking to put two offensive tackles in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Two days after teammate, left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., announced his own intentions, Texas right tackle Cameron Williams announced that he would forgo his senior year in order to move on to the NFL, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.
Williams is certainly viewed as a bit of a project for the NFL. He came to Austin from Duncanville HS (TX) as a three-star tackle. Though not highly ranked, Williams had no shortage of offers. His senior-year size of 6-foot-5, 360 pounds garnered offers from the biggest schools in the country. After taking official visits to Oregon, Miami, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Texas, Williams committed to the Ducks before his senior year. After concluding his final high school season, though, Williams decommitted from Oregon and signed with the Longhorns.
In his first two seasons with the team, Williams held a fairly small role, though not small enough to redshirt. He appeared in every game as a freshman, playing primarily on special teams. As a sophomore, he appeared in nine games and made his first start at right tackle in a game against Kansas State.
This season was Williams’ first as a full-time starter at Texas. Williams started every game this year at right tackle and, though the unit was solid this year, Williams delivered mixed results. While he only allowed 14 pressures on the year, he also was near the top of the nation in penalties committed. He’s extremely raw and unpolished at the moment, but his athletic ability at an ideal size (he’s trimmed down to a more manageable 335 pounds) has lots of scouts drooling over his potential.
Out of the four ESPN analysts’ rankings, only Matt Miller has Williams as a top-five offensive tackle. In his midseason rankings, Dane Brugler of The Athletic was willing to overlook Williams’ FBS-leading penchant for penalties, listing him as the third-best offensive tackle and the 27th-best prospect overall.
In a draft class that lacks a truly elite group of tackles, players with high potential, like Williams, have a strong chance of rising up draft boards. The runup to the draft will be important for Williams, as he’ll get a chance to show in the NFL scouting combine and his pro day just how athletic his perfect frame is.