Ex-Packers QB Williams transfers to UCF

Jul. 13—MOULTRIE — Xavier Williams had not played much as a junior at Ola High School in McDonough before moving in 2020 with his family to Moultrie, where he immediately became the Packers starting quarterback.

The 2020 football season was shortened as the Georgia High School Association, like the rest of the world, dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Packers played only seven regular-season games.

Williams was one of the surprise success stories in Georgia that year, leading the Packers to victories in their first six games while completing 73-of-118 passes for 1,085 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The athletic 6-foot-2, 205-pounder also averaged over 8 yards per carry while rushing the football and scored seven more touchdowns.

But Williams, who would go on to be named the Region 1-7A Offensive Player of the Year, tore his ACL on the first play of the Packers regular-season finale at Tift County and did not suit up again for the Packers.

Fortunately, Charlotte had offered him a scholarship after he led the Packers to a season-opening victory over Banneker and he committed to the 49ers program a week later.

After rehabbing his surgically repaired knee and red-shirting in 2021, he played in six games for Charlotte in 2022, starting one.

He threw for 420 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two other scores, but decided to enter the transfer portal in April.

Williams had three offers and took the one from the University of Central Florida, where Will Healy, his former head coach at Charlotte, had joined the staff.

Now, after playing in just 12 games over the past three seasons, Williams is joining the Gus Malzahn-led UCF program that will join the Big 12 Conference this fall.

Williams will compete with returning starter John Rhys Plumlee and Timmy McClain.

Plumlee, who started his career at Ole Miss, completed 63 percent of his passes and threw for 14 touchdowns last season for the Knights.

McClain is a transfer from South Florida.

"It's a program that is on the rise in recent years and is going to the Big 12," Williams said. "Everyone here has been great, very welcoming, and I'm down here working hard, getting ready to compete."

He said being at UCF reminded him of his senior year at Colquitt County.

And, despite the effects of COVID and the injury that cut short his final high school season, the 2020 was a memorable year.

When the season finally started on Sept. 18, Williams got his first Packers touchdown pass less than three minutes into the win over Banneker. It was a 37-yarder to Baby D Wheeler.

He added two more scoring passes — one to Charlie Pace in the second quarter and another to Wheeler in the third quarter — in the 51-0 victory.

Williams also contributed a 27-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

A week later, he was 12-for-19 for 188 yards and a touchdown in a 24-10 win over Valdosta.

The Packers scored a combined 126 points the next two games, going on the road to beat Dothan (Ala.) 63-27 and Northside of Warner Robins, 63-14.

Williams threw for 431 yards and eight touchdowns in the two games.

In Colquitt's Region 1-7A victories over Camden County and Lowndes, Williams was 22-for-35 for 229 yards. He threw two touchdown passes in the 40-10 win over Lowndes.

But on the first play on the regular-season finale at Brodie Field, Williams ran toward the sideline, only to have the knee to give way when he tried to turn up the field after gaining three yards.

Zane Touchton replaced him and finished the 41-0 victory over Tift County and helped lead the Packers to playoff wins over Brookwood and Walton.

The Packers were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Norcross 17-7 to finish 9-1.

"It was hard knowing that was the end of my high school career," Williams said of his knee injury.

He continued to support his teammates, however.

"I was there for the first playoff game," he said. "I missed the second because I was just coming off surgery.

"And I made it to the last one."

Williams said people in Moultrie and the Packers coaching staff took much of the pressure off his senior-season move to a new school.

He especially credited quarterbacks coach Joe Thornton, head coach Justin Rogers and running backs coach Dave Windon with his success.

And he said he had plenty of support from family and friends after suffering the season-ending knee injury.

Fortunately, he had already committed to Charlotte, which was the first school to offer him a scholarship, despite his limited experience.

When he finally got an opportunity to play for the 49ers, it was in an offense that was similar to the one run by the Packers and fit his abilities as a passer and a runner.

Malzahn, the former Auburn head coach, is starting his third year in Orlando and has led the Knights to 9-4 and 9-5 records.

UCF's 2023 schedule includes Big 12 conference games against Baylor, West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Houston at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando and against Kansas State, Kansas, Oklahoma, Cincinnati and Texas Tech on the road.

The Knights will open on Aug. 31 against Kent State at home.