Cornerback JoeJuan Williams starred for the Vanderbilt football team in a three-year career. He's No. 57 in our countdown of the top 100 athletes we've covered at VU; you can follow the full list here.
Honors and awards: 2017 Bednarik National Defensive Player of the Week (Kansas State game)
2017 Southeastern Conference co-Defensive Player of the Week (Kansas State game)
2018 second-team All-SEC (AP, coaches)
In the VU record book: Williams does not appear on any single-season or career charts
Before VU: Williams starred at Father Ryan High School and transferred to Hendersonville High as a senior. The TSSAA then denied Williams an opportunity to play for the storied Commando football program after that transfer. Williams recorded 48 tackles, two interceptions and 11 pass break-ups in 2014, earning all-state honors. Had 21 tackles and returned an interception for a score as a sophomore. Narrowed his list to LSU and Vanderbilt before choosing the Commodores.
Freshman (2016): Played in all 13 games as a true freshman, and saw his role expand at season's end. Pro Football focus graded him at 61.9 overall, with a 77.7 against the run, 58.2 in coverage and 56.1 as a tackler. Contributed a tackle-and-a-half for loss. Had three solo stops and a tackle for loss in the Independence Bowl loss to North Carolina State.
Sophomore (2017): Started all 12 games at corner. PFF graded him at 67.5 for the season, with 71.7 against the run, 65.6 in coverage, and 62.8 as a tackler. Had 2 1/2 tackles for loss. Ranked second on the team in passes defended. Had at least two tackles in last 10 games. Breakout game came in VU's upset of Kansas State; Williams had eight tackles and broke up three passes (one, a deflection that went for an interception to LaDarius Wiley) in a contest that earned him National Defensive Player of the Week.
Junior (2018): Appeared in 13 games, starting 12. PFF graded him at 80.1 for the season, with 73.0 against the run, 81.0 in coverage, and 69.3 as a tackler. Led the conference in pass break-ups (14) and passes defended (18), while ranking second in the league with four interceptions. Had two tackles for loss. Set a career high against Missouri with eight solo tackles and one assist. Had eight total tackles against both Georgia and Florida. Had five solo stops, four break-ups and a pick in the win over Ole Miss. Had two passes defended in the win over Tennessee. Credited with five total tackles and three passes defended in the Texas Bowl loss to Baylor.
Post-VU: The Patriots took Williams in Round 2 (No. 45 overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft. He participated in nine games as a rookie, making four tackles.
Final thoughts, and why I ranked him where I did: Williams came to VU as one of its more highly-coveted recruits in years, and from early in his sophomore year on, lived up to the hype.
The knock on Williams his first two years was that he didn't have a pick, but that didn't mean he didn't play well. VU doesn't upset Kansas State in 2017 without his three break-ups in that 14-7 win. As a senior, Williams was perhaps the league's most statistically-productive cornerback, even though it didn't make a lot of sense to throw at him. That year, he had one bad game (Georgia) and was fair to great in the rest.
It wasn't a huge body of work, but Williams played one of the most demanding positions on the field and for the most part, played it pretty well. Had he not established himself, he could easily have returned, and probably starred again as a senior, which factored into his ranking here.
