Williams’ Transfer to K-State a ‘Full Circle Moment’
Jan 23, 2026 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
To understand new K-State wide receiver Izaiah Williams, who arrived on January 12 after two seasons at Texas A&M, perhaps it's best to start with what Williams saw growing up. From St. Louis, Missouri, to San Antonio, Texas, to Tampa, Florida, wherever the Williams family lived, there was the K-State jersey along with a K-State helmet, and a K-State flag waved in the breeze outside the Williams' home.
The jersey and helmet were worn by Izaiah's father, Melvin Williams, a fierce defensive end who played between 1999 and 2002 on some of the best Wildcat defenses in history. Williams earned All-Big 12 honors his senior season in 2002, then was taken by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He spent time with the Saints (2003-04), the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins (2004), and the Washington Redskins (2004-05).
Soon after Melvin and Izaiah arrived at K-State for Izaiah's official visit on January 4, Izaiah's respect for his father and the K-State football program took a jump.
"My dad was a dawg back in the day," Izaiah says. "On our visit, K-State showed clips of him. I was like, 'Wow.' I'd never seen live footage of him playing. I didn't know he played like that. It was crazy watching him. My dad said that he loved K-State and didn't want to go anywhere else.
"Being there with my dad at K-State was a full-circle moment."
The family ties for Williams continued to weave even more when he stepped into the office of the K-State head football coach.
"What's up, Coach?" Izaiah said. "I'm excited to see what we can get done!"
Izaiah embraced Collin Klein, K-State's first-year head coach, who was hired in December after serving the previous two seasons as offensive coordinator for a wildly effective Texas A&M attack. Reunited with Klein, and with senior quarterback Avery Johnson en tow, Williams believes that the sky is the limit for K-State in the 2026 season.
"Right when I entered the portal, Coach Klein reached out," Williams says. "He said that he'd love for me to take a visit and that there was a chance for me to compete at K-State. He said that he believes in me and knows what I'm capable of doing, and he encouraged me to take a chance and go to K-State and see the relationships I could build here."
Williams is a 6-foot, 190-pound untapped talent, a 20-year-old who received 30 FBS scholarship offers as a four-star prospect out of Carrollwood Day High School. Williams redshirted the 2024 season at Texas A&M and then experienced one of the greatest moments of his life on November 15, 2025, during the biggest comeback victory in the history of Texas A&M football.
No. 3 Texas A&M trailed South Carolina, 30-3, when Williams caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Marcel Reed for the Aggies' first touchdown of the game with 11 minutes, 26 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Williams' touchdown sparked a 27-point comeback in a 31-30 victory in front of the fifth-largest crowd in Kyle Field history.
"Mario Craver went down, and at halftime they told me to be ready. That's been my mindset the whole season," Williams says. "I just waited for my time, and my time finally came. They had designed a play for me. We ran the play in practice. I ran the wheel-fade route, and I caught the ball and scored the touchdown. It was a very big moment in my life."
After the season, Williams left Texas A&M following a discussion with coaches.
"I didn't want to leave," Williams says. "They told me it was in my best interest to look elsewhere. I'm in my junior year, and time is ticking on my eligibility. If I wanted to produce, I'd have to go elsewhere. That really made my decision on leaving."
He discovered a loving atmosphere when he and his father entered the doors to the Vanier Family Football Complex.
"I visited all the coaches," Williams says. "I saw how much I was wanted there, and that's the biggest thing. I wanted somebody who would believe in me and wanted me around. Outside of football, relationship is the biggest thing. If someone believes in you, you want to play for them. I went around the facility, and I met wide receivers coach Thad Ward, who blew me away with how much he believed in me and in how he coaches."
Williams paused at the sight of Bill Snyder Family Stadium for the first time.
"I was actually surprised," he says. "I didn't think it'd be as nice as it is, and thought I'd be smaller. It's pretty big. It's similar to A&M. At K-State, you just don't have the extra layer of seating on each side, but I was blown away. It's a really nice field and nice stadium. I'm really looking forward to making plays here."
He's excited to do so with Klein calling the shots — again.
"Coming from A&M, I'm familiar with Coach Klein's offensive mind, his playbook and style," Williams says. "He knows what I'm capable of. It's not going to be a shock. I like how versatile Coach Klein's offense is, and how explosive it is. We can run the ball, pass the ball, throw it short, design plays to get the ball into receivers' hands. It's a very versatile offense. I'm looking forward to it.
"I'm a versatile playmaker who can line up outside or inside. I'm a great route runner who's able to get yards after catch, and I attack the ball very well and has great ball coordination. I make plays and I'm trying to become a leader for younger players. K-State is going to get a versatile playmaker."
As for working with Johnson?
"I'm excited about Avery," Williams says. "He is the best quarterback in the nation with the way he can throw the ball and extend plays with his legs. He's a stud, and I'm looking forward to catching balls from him."
Williams committed to K-State on January 6 — two days after his visit to Manhattan. He pulled up to K-State on moving day on January 12 with goals in mind.
"My excitement is to prove everybody wrong and display my abilities on the field," he says. "I'm really excited to work and make plays."
Already, Williams is plenty busy. On Wednesday, he awoke at 5:30 a.m. and drove to the football complex for baseline strength and conditioning testing. Inside the team theater room, Williams along with fellow newcomers and incoming freshmen sat through presentations geared toward student development, sports psychology, academics and compliance. Then Williams went to class, attended a tutoring session, and relaxed at home — but only for a few minutes. He still had to pick up his textbooks at the bookstore. He's taking four classes this semester.
On the field, Williams will assuredly learn plenty as well inside the same stadium where his father made his own mark many years ago.
"When I first started playing football, and I knew my dad made it to the NFL, I knew I was destined for it," Williams says. "I'm pretty close to my dad. He's my guy. I really look up to him, whether it's football or coaching. I got my work ethic, motivation, and learned manners toward women and life from my dad. He gave me the athletic abilities and the opportunity to be a man all by myself and not depend on anybody else.
"What I've learned along the way is to always believe in yourself and to never doubt yourself. Whatever I put my mind to, I can accomplish. You always have this goal in mind, and that's to make it to the NFL, so you cannot let anybody distract you from that goal."
He pauses.
"But yeah, this is very surreal," he says. "I never thought I'd be at K-State one day. I feel like God has a plan for me here. I'm here for a reason."
To understand new K-State wide receiver Izaiah Williams, who arrived on January 12 after two seasons at Texas A&M, perhaps it's best to start with what Williams saw growing up. From St. Louis, Missouri, to San Antonio, Texas, to Tampa, Florida, wherever the Williams family lived, there was the K-State jersey along with a K-State helmet, and a K-State flag waved in the breeze outside the Williams' home.
The jersey and helmet were worn by Izaiah's father, Melvin Williams, a fierce defensive end who played between 1999 and 2002 on some of the best Wildcat defenses in history. Williams earned All-Big 12 honors his senior season in 2002, then was taken by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He spent time with the Saints (2003-04), the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins (2004), and the Washington Redskins (2004-05).
Soon after Melvin and Izaiah arrived at K-State for Izaiah's official visit on January 4, Izaiah's respect for his father and the K-State football program took a jump.
"My dad was a dawg back in the day," Izaiah says. "On our visit, K-State showed clips of him. I was like, 'Wow.' I'd never seen live footage of him playing. I didn't know he played like that. It was crazy watching him. My dad said that he loved K-State and didn't want to go anywhere else.
"Being there with my dad at K-State was a full-circle moment."
The family ties for Williams continued to weave even more when he stepped into the office of the K-State head football coach.
"What's up, Coach?" Izaiah said. "I'm excited to see what we can get done!"
Izaiah embraced Collin Klein, K-State's first-year head coach, who was hired in December after serving the previous two seasons as offensive coordinator for a wildly effective Texas A&M attack. Reunited with Klein, and with senior quarterback Avery Johnson en tow, Williams believes that the sky is the limit for K-State in the 2026 season.
"Right when I entered the portal, Coach Klein reached out," Williams says. "He said that he'd love for me to take a visit and that there was a chance for me to compete at K-State. He said that he believes in me and knows what I'm capable of doing, and he encouraged me to take a chance and go to K-State and see the relationships I could build here."
Williams is a 6-foot, 190-pound untapped talent, a 20-year-old who received 30 FBS scholarship offers as a four-star prospect out of Carrollwood Day High School. Williams redshirted the 2024 season at Texas A&M and then experienced one of the greatest moments of his life on November 15, 2025, during the biggest comeback victory in the history of Texas A&M football.
No. 3 Texas A&M trailed South Carolina, 30-3, when Williams caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Marcel Reed for the Aggies' first touchdown of the game with 11 minutes, 26 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Williams' touchdown sparked a 27-point comeback in a 31-30 victory in front of the fifth-largest crowd in Kyle Field history.
"Mario Craver went down, and at halftime they told me to be ready. That's been my mindset the whole season," Williams says. "I just waited for my time, and my time finally came. They had designed a play for me. We ran the play in practice. I ran the wheel-fade route, and I caught the ball and scored the touchdown. It was a very big moment in my life."
After the season, Williams left Texas A&M following a discussion with coaches.
"I didn't want to leave," Williams says. "They told me it was in my best interest to look elsewhere. I'm in my junior year, and time is ticking on my eligibility. If I wanted to produce, I'd have to go elsewhere. That really made my decision on leaving."
He discovered a loving atmosphere when he and his father entered the doors to the Vanier Family Football Complex.
"I visited all the coaches," Williams says. "I saw how much I was wanted there, and that's the biggest thing. I wanted somebody who would believe in me and wanted me around. Outside of football, relationship is the biggest thing. If someone believes in you, you want to play for them. I went around the facility, and I met wide receivers coach Thad Ward, who blew me away with how much he believed in me and in how he coaches."
Williams paused at the sight of Bill Snyder Family Stadium for the first time.
"I was actually surprised," he says. "I didn't think it'd be as nice as it is, and thought I'd be smaller. It's pretty big. It's similar to A&M. At K-State, you just don't have the extra layer of seating on each side, but I was blown away. It's a really nice field and nice stadium. I'm really looking forward to making plays here."
He's excited to do so with Klein calling the shots — again.
"Coming from A&M, I'm familiar with Coach Klein's offensive mind, his playbook and style," Williams says. "He knows what I'm capable of. It's not going to be a shock. I like how versatile Coach Klein's offense is, and how explosive it is. We can run the ball, pass the ball, throw it short, design plays to get the ball into receivers' hands. It's a very versatile offense. I'm looking forward to it.
"I'm a versatile playmaker who can line up outside or inside. I'm a great route runner who's able to get yards after catch, and I attack the ball very well and has great ball coordination. I make plays and I'm trying to become a leader for younger players. K-State is going to get a versatile playmaker."
As for working with Johnson?
"I'm excited about Avery," Williams says. "He is the best quarterback in the nation with the way he can throw the ball and extend plays with his legs. He's a stud, and I'm looking forward to catching balls from him."
Williams committed to K-State on January 6 — two days after his visit to Manhattan. He pulled up to K-State on moving day on January 12 with goals in mind.
"My excitement is to prove everybody wrong and display my abilities on the field," he says. "I'm really excited to work and make plays."
Already, Williams is plenty busy. On Wednesday, he awoke at 5:30 a.m. and drove to the football complex for baseline strength and conditioning testing. Inside the team theater room, Williams along with fellow newcomers and incoming freshmen sat through presentations geared toward student development, sports psychology, academics and compliance. Then Williams went to class, attended a tutoring session, and relaxed at home — but only for a few minutes. He still had to pick up his textbooks at the bookstore. He's taking four classes this semester.
On the field, Williams will assuredly learn plenty as well inside the same stadium where his father made his own mark many years ago.
"When I first started playing football, and I knew my dad made it to the NFL, I knew I was destined for it," Williams says. "I'm pretty close to my dad. He's my guy. I really look up to him, whether it's football or coaching. I got my work ethic, motivation, and learned manners toward women and life from my dad. He gave me the athletic abilities and the opportunity to be a man all by myself and not depend on anybody else.
"What I've learned along the way is to always believe in yourself and to never doubt yourself. Whatever I put my mind to, I can accomplish. You always have this goal in mind, and that's to make it to the NFL, so you cannot let anybody distract you from that goal."
He pauses.
"But yeah, this is very surreal," he says. "I never thought I'd be at K-State one day. I feel like God has a plan for me here. I'm here for a reason."
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