HONORS AND AWARDS

Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll (September 11, 2026)
2025 Presason Doak Walker Award Candidate

AS A JUNIOR (2026)

vs WISCONSIN (9/6): Made first career start at running back… carried the ball 20 times for 90 yards… scored two rushing touchdowns… caught one pass for 11 yards… recorded 72 of his rushing yards and both touchdowns in the second half
RICE (9/12): Started at running back… recorded 29 rushing yards in the win
MICHIGAN STATE (9/19): Started at running back… totaled nine carries for 25 yards and a touchdown… scored from one-yard out in the second quarter to put Notre Dame up 17-3… hauled in two catches for 11 yards
at PURDUE (9/26): Saw time at running back… led the team with 80 rushing yards on 14 carries… averaged 5.7 yards per carry… scored a 22 yard rushing touchdown on the first play of the second quarter… caught one pass for six yards
AT NORTH CAROLINA (10/3): Saw action at running back… rushed eight times for 42 yards… averaged 5.2 yards per carry… caught three passes for six yards
STANFORD (10/10): Saw playing time at running back… caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from QB CJ Carr in the second quarter… rushed for 28 yards on seven attempts

AS A SOPHOMORE (2025)

Played in all 12 games for the Irish, seeing time on offense and special teams… rushed 24 times for 224 yards and five touchdowns… averaged 9.3 yards per carry… logged two receptions for 40 yards… posted a career-best 83 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on just 10 carries at Stanford… had five carries for 72 yards and a touchdown against Navy
at MIAMI (8/31): Saw action on offense for the Irish on the kickoff return unit
TEXAS A&M (9/13): Competed on special teams… had one kickoff return for eight yards
PURDUE (9/20): Saw playing time for the Irish on offense and the kickoff return unit… ran the ball four times for ten yards
at ARKANSAS (9/27): Saw playing time for the Irish on offense and the kickoff return unit… rushed twice for 20 yards… had a 17-yard rushing touchdown in the 4th quarter to extend the Irish lead
BOISE STATE (10/4): Saw action in the win for the Irish on the kickoff return unit
NC STATE (10/11): Saw playing time in the win for the Irish on the kickoff return unit
USC (10/18): Competed in the win on the kickoff return unit… blocked for fellow RB Jadarian Price on his 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, his second of the season.
AT BOSTON COLLEGE (11/1): Saw action in the win on the kickoff return unit
NAVY (11/9): Saw playing time for the Irish… ran five times for a career-high 72 yards… scored a 54-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to cap off the win… averaged 14.4 yards per carry
at PITTSBURGH (11/15): Saw action for the Irish on special teams
SYRACUSE (11/22): Saw playing time for the Irish… ran three times for 39 yards… scored a 30-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter
AT STANFORD (11/29): Saw action in the win… notched a career-high 83 rushing yards on 10 carries… also recorded a career-best two rushing touchdowns… ran it in from two yards out in the second quarter to put the Irish up 28… broke free for a 51-yard touchdown score in the fourth quarter… logged season-highs of two receptions for 40 yards… returned a kickoff for 11 yards… registered 134 all-purpose yards

AS A FRESHMAN (2024):

Played in 15 games for the Irish… tallied 219 rushing yards and 172 receiving yards in debut season… had at least one rushing attempt in 13 games of the year… added at least one reception on eight occasions
NORTHERN ILLINOIS (9/7): Played in first career game for the Irish… had one carry for four yards
at PURDUE (9/15): Had a carry for nine yards… returned a punt for five yards… both marked new career-high efforts
MIAMI UNIVERSITY (9/22): Played in the game for the Irish… rushed twice for seven yards, averaging 3.5 yards per run
LOUISVILLE (9/28): Competed on offense in the victory… rushed twice for 16 yards, averaging eight yards per run… longest run was 12 yards
STANFORD (10/12): Played in the game… rattled off a 19-yard rushing touchdown… first career touchdown… carried the ball three times to gain 28 yards, longest rush of the game was 19 yards… targeted once and made one catch for five yards
at GEORGIA TECH (10/19): Competed on offense for the Irish… had two carries for five yards… added a reception for 10 yards on third down to set up the first touchdown drive
at NAVY (10/26): Saw playing time in the victory… had three carries for nine yards… longest run was four yards… tallied a reception for eight yards
FLORIDA STATE (11/09): Competed for the Irish… rushed twice for 11 yards…targeted once and made one catch for 28 yards
VIRGINIA (11/16): Saw action on offense in the win… had 24 rushing yards on seven carries… longest run of the game was nine yards… tallied three catches for 35 yards… longest catch of the game was 17 yards… posted single-game career-highs for carries (7), receptions (3), and receiving yards (35)
ARMY (11/23): Competed on offense and special teams… had three carries for 62 yards and a touchdown… longest rush was a 58-yard touchdown
at USC (11/30): Saw playing time for the Irish on offense
INDIANA (12/20): Competed in the victory for the Irish… had four carries for 24 yards to average 6.0 yards per rush… longest run went 12 yards… two rushes went for third-down conversions to keep the Irish offense on the field… added four receptions for 15 yards… longest catch was nine yards
vs GEORGIA (1/2): Saw playing time in the win… had two carries and two receptions
vs PENN STATE (1/9): Competed for the Irish… posted two carries for 17 yards… longest rush went 15 yards to set up an Irish touchdown to open the second half… added five catches on five targets for 66 yards… longest catch went for 36 yards on same touchdown drive to begin the third quarter
vs OHIO STATE (1/20): Saw playing time on offense

PREP AND PERSONAL

A four star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals.com
A three star recruit by On3
The 144th player nationally, second ranked running back and fifth-ranked prospect in the state by Rivals.com
The 21st running back and the seventh-ranked player in the state by 247Sports
The 25th running back and the seventh-ranked player in the state by ESPN
The 34th running back and the ninth-ranked player in the state by On3
Played under head coach Jason Noland, earning four varsity letters in football, three in track and field and one in baseball at Hannibal High
Four-time all-state, all-conference and all-district honoree
Earned All-American honors as a senior
Missouri Coaches Association’s 2023 Class 4 Offensive Player of the Year
Was twice named KHQA Player of the Year, the first player to ever win the award twice
KHQA Breakout Player of the Year as a freshman
Led the Pirates to a conference and district championship during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons
Hannibal earned a district championship during his freshman year and a state runner-up finish as a sophomore
Finished his career with 477 rushing attempts, 4,255 rushing yards, 177 receptions, 3,249 receiving yards and 151 career touchdowns, ranking second in Missouri High School history
Son of Sarah Williams and James Branch
Has five siblings, Aliviah, Ealy, James, Serena and Leela

Aneyas Williams +6! #GoIrish #shorts