'When he first got here, he couldn’t even do conditioning:' Growth of FSU's Hykeem Williams

Hykeem Williams was not conditioned for football at the college level when he arrived in Tallahassee.

The Florida State football freshman receiver was a 5-star recruit coming out of Stranahan High in Fort Lauderdale with huge expectations in the 2024 recruiting class as the 24th overall ranked player, per 247Sports.

Williams, an early enrollee, entered FSU team camps and learned that while he performed well at the high school level - posting 18 passes for 374 yards and five touchdowns in seven games as a senior - he was not in the shape he needed to be in to perform at this level.

"When he first got here, he couldn’t even do conditioning," FSU quarterback Jordan Travis said with a laugh of Williams after Wednesday's practice.

But Williams has quickly worked on his adjustment to college.

He scored his first career touchdown against Syracuse in a 41-3 victory last Saturday. The No. 4 Seminoles (6-0, 4-0 ACC) take on No. 17 Duke (5-1, 2-0) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium. (Broadcast: ABC).

“It was really the mindset that I have to come in and work, that’s really it,” Williams said. “In high school, I was in the weight room, but I wasn’t in the weight room as much. So to be in the weight room every other day now, it’s helping me to be better on the football field.”

Growth in the program

FSU head coach Mike Norvell said since his arrival in January, he has seen Williams grow in his abilities by focusing and working on his ability to get in better shape.

Williams was listed at 215 pounds when he enrolled at FSU. He has since shed nine pounds, down to 206.

“He's had to go through it,” Norvell said. “One of the benefits. He got here in January, whether it's Tour Duty, spring practice, he learned quickly the shape that's necessary, some of the commitments and sacrifices of what it takes.”

While the Seminoles' coaching staff has high hopes for Williams, they knew it would be a journey for the freshman to find his footing.

They never wavered in belief in him. In fact, Williams has appeared in all six games this season, already burning his redshirt. He's slowly coming around to making more contributions in the passing game as his confidence and role increase.

"Recruiting and everything is so accelerated now where everybody looks at these young guys so early, man. But I mean, they’ve got to be able to go through it a little bit," offensive coordinator Alex Atkins said.

"I think as he’s maintained his conditioning, his confidence, his understanding of the offense, he's really, really accelerating where now he can showcase his ability.”

Hykeem Williams scores first career touchdown against Syracuse

Williams caught a 1-yard screen pass from backup QB Tate Rodemaker in the fourth quarter against the Orange. Propelled by blocks from tight end Jackson West and offensive lineman Julian Armella [a fellow South Floridian], Williams burst through the wide-open middle of the field, surprised a couple of defenders with his speed and made a nifty move to juke a defender to find the end zone for the score.

"Seeing the play and knowing it was coming to me, because I don't get that many touches it was going through my head, 'Make something happen. Catch the ball and be a playmaker,'" Williams said after Wednesday's practice. "That's what I did."

Travis, who jokingly brought up Williams' struggles with conditioning earlier in the interview, was excited for his teammate's first career score on his second collegiate catch.

"Seeing Hykeem score was a really special moment for me and him," Travis said. Just seeing how far he came ... Seeing the growth of him as a person and a player is really special."

"I was excited because you got to see him with the ball in his hands in open spaces. He took it to a whole new gear, which was exciting for us to see," Norvell added after Saturday's game. "The last month you've seen some positive strides from him. He's building in his confidence."

Keon Coleman, who joined the program during the spring practices and did not see Williams' struggles with the Tour of Duty early on, was also impressed with Williams.

"He's grown so much from when I first came in," Coleman said. "He's coming from being a high school guy, so probably his treatment was a little bit different. Conditioning and stuff, he was struggling, but we are pushing him every day and he is becoming what y'all thought he was going to be coming out of high school."

The excitement wasn't just limited to Travis, Coleman and Norvell. Slot receiver Ja'Khi Douglas was right behind Williams and joined him in celebrating.

Other teammates on the field also rushed to celebrate with Williams, while players on the sideline were restrained as to not pick up a penalty.

“It was the best feeling. To see, like, how happy the team was for me…I mean, they could’ve just sat there and been like ‘Hey, touchdown, we’re blowing them out’,” Williams said. “But to see me score as a freshman and the energy they brought, to me, that’s the best thing ever.”

GAME INFORMATION

Who: No. 4 FSU (6-0, 4-0 ACC) vs. No. 17 Duke (5-1, 2-0)

When/where: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Doak Campbell Stadium

TV/Radio: ABC/94.9 FM

Live game updates: www.Tallahassee.com; @Ehsan_Kassim, @jackgwilliams and @JimHenryTALLY on X, formerly Twitter

Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State football: Receiver Hykeem Williams growing as freshman