The Colorado Buffaloes are on a five-game losing streak, but their most consistent player finds himself in good company.

The Buffaloes are struggling to put together a complete four quarters in any of their last five games. Complimentary football is something fans have not seen in almost two months. The one consistent has been Joseph Williams.

Despite another roster rebuild that included losing most of the previous year’s four and five-star players, Williams stayed. His 2025 had some high points but was marred by less than ideal performances. When everyone else left, Williams chose to stay.

What a difference a year makes

In 2025, Williams finished with 489 yards and four touchdowns while appearing in ten games. In that season, Williams only went over the century mark once. It was against a nationally ranked Iowa State team. That remains Coach Sanders’ only win against a ranked Big 12 opponent.

By the halfway point of the 2026 season, Williams had already eclipsed his 2025 totals. Heading into this week’s matchup vs Kansas State, Williams has 643 yards and five touchdowns on 46 total receptions. His four receptions for 123 yards, two touchdowns and a 30.8 yards per reception average helped Colorado build a large lead in the last game they won (Weber State).

Williams has three games this season of over a hundred yards receiving, all of which were 123 yards or more. Despite his valiant efforts, two of those games were lost by ten points or more. Surprisingly enough, Williams even has three passing attempts on his resume in 2026. Going 2 of 3 for 49 yards and an interception.

Following the Buffs 57-24 loss, Williams was one of the bright spots. He finished that game with nine receptions for 135 yards. His 135 yards should have put Williams somewhere in the top 25 nationally among wide receivers. As it turned out, it was good enough to get him into the top 20.

The top 3 of the receiving list are three well-known names. Considering the team’s offensive struggles, the top 5 was likely never an option for Williams. It would take Herculian efforts over the remaining games to even threaten Jesse Legree (1,040 yards and 14 touchdowns), Jeremiah Smith (984 yards and 12 touchdowns) and Malachi Toney (952 yards and 11 touchdowns).

Williams sits exactly 20th in the country, not just the Power 4, for receiving. He is just behind Mississippi State’s Anthony Evans III and just ahead of Oklahoma State’s WR1 by the numbers, Wyatt Youn. If Williams could give another hundred yard performance this week, it could put him as high as the middle teens.

Colorado still has time left

While Williams' yard totals are not contributing as much to wins as he and the team would like, it does create another conversation that is beneficial to the Buffaloes program. In 2025, Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes saw four players drafted. Travis Hunter is beginning to flourish in Jacksonville and recently became only the third player to record an NFL touchdown reception and interception in the same game.

Shedeur Sanders awaits his time to play in Cleveland while starting quarterback Deshaun Watson has the Browns at 5-2. Wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr, who was drafted by the Panthers, has recently joined Shedeur in Cleveland. LaJohntay Wester, who was drafted by the Ravens, is a special teams mainstay who also contributes on offense.

If Williams can stay on his current season trajectory, he could very well be in the conversation to be drafted into the NFL in one of the first two days of the draft. Short of Travis Hunter going No. 2 overall, Williams could be only the second player under Deion Sanders to get drafted in the first four rounds.

Read More: Colorado Suffers Worst Loss in Deion Sanders Era

On his current projection, Williams is on pace to amass over a thousand yards on the season. Making him a real option for the draft. At 6’2 and 200 pounds, Williams has the build and stylistic game that many general managers are looking for. Big enough, fast enough, runs adequate routes with room to develop, has shown good hands and maybe most importantly, he shows a refusal to lose the down. Often fighting for extra yards without doing so recklessly.

In a season that is expected to finish with far fewer team wins than expected, Williams’ performance could be something for the program to hang their hat on. An NFL Draft success story whose last name is not Sanders nor someone with significant numbers because of someone named Sanders. The program could use that narrative to attract future recruits.