Veteran defender Kourt Williams II out for 2023 with torn ACL
COLUMBUS — Ohio State veteran defender Kourt Williams II, who converted from safety to linebacker late this offseason, will miss 2023 with a torn ACL.
“Really feel awful for Kourt,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Monday. “I just feel like he can’t catch a break. He’s such a great young man. And, so, prayers are out to him. We’re all rallying around Kourt.”
Williams dealt with labrum tears in both of his shoulders last year, requiring three surgeries.
He also missed his freshman year, which he eventually redshirted, with an ACL tear.
Williams was a top-150 prospect coming out of St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Williams showcased the ability to both play outside linebacker and safety in high school, even adding a pair of sacks to his 74-tackle total as a junior. He was ultimately selected to play in the All-American Bowl in San Antonio.
In his first year at Ohio State, Williams’ initial ACL tear occurred less than a month removed from his black stripe removal. But he bounced back to make a significant contribution to the 2021 defense, logging a career-high 182 defensive snaps on the season, per Pro Football Focus. That season, he earned his first career start against Utah in the Rose Bowl, and finished the campaign with 27 total tackles, including 21 solos, four TFLs and one sack.
Williams was named a Buckeyes captain ahead of last season, except he was significantly limited by his shoulder injuries, which he sustained in the preseason. He managed just 42 defensive snaps across four games, according to PFF. After the Buckeyes’ Week 6 win at Michigan State, Williams didn’t see the field again in 2022.
Williams made the switch to linebacker with hopes of giving himself the best chance at reaching the NFL. It would have been an uphill battle to playing time in a crowded Ohio State linebacker room that only gets two starting spots in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ 4-2-5 system.
That said, Williams was impressing closer to the line of scrimmage in his early second-level work, according to both Knowles and fellow linebacker Steele Chambers.
Earlier this month, Williams said that walking away from the game wasn’t an option to him after his injury-riddled 2022 season. He pointed out that the Buckeyes’ culture is “fight.”
“It’s bigger than myself,” Williams said at the time. “I’m doing it for my family, I’m doing it for the glory of God. And I’m gonna ride this thing until the wheels fall off. That’s just my mindset.”
